LIBRARY 

OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Class 


THE    READING   OF   COMPLETE 
ENGLISH    CLASSICS 

IN   THE    COMMON    SCHOOL 


SPECIAL    METHOD 


IN  THE 


READING     OF    COMPLETE 
ENGLISH     CLASSICS 


IN   THE   GRADES   OF  THE 
COMMON    SCHOOL 


BY 
CHARLES    McMURRY,  PH.D. 


BRA 
OF  ~ 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


gorfc 
THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

LONDON  :  MACMILLAN  &  CO.,   LTD. 
1903 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1903, 
BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 

Set  up  and  electrotyped  October,  1902. 


J.  S.  Gushing  &  Co.  -  Berwick  &  Smith 
Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

EDUCATIONAL  VALUE  OF  LITERATURE  i 

CHAPTER   II 
THE  USE  OF  MASTERPIECES  AS  WHOLES        .        .        .41 

CHAPTER  III 
LITERARY  MATERIALS  FOR  THE  FIVE  UPPER  GRADES    .      67 

CHAPTER   IV 
CLASS-ROOM  METHOD  IN  READING          .        .        .        .102 

CHAPTER  V 
METHOD  FURTHER  DISCUSSED  AND  ILLUSTRATED    .        .135 

CHAPTER  VI 
THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER   .        .        .176 

CHAPTER  VII 
LIST  OF  BOOKS 205 


515 


SPECIAL  METHOD  OF  CLASSICS 

CHAPTER   I 

EDUCATIONAL   VALUE   OF    LITERATURE 

THE  gradual  introduction  of  the  choicer  products 
of  literature  into  the  grades  of  the  common  school 
has  been  going  on  for  several  years.  Bringing  the 
school  children  face  to  face  with  the  thoughts  of  the 
masters  has  had  often  a  thrilling  effect,  and  the  feel- 
ing has  spread  among  teachers  that  a  new  door  has 
been  opened  into  what  Ruskin  calls  "The  King's 
Gardens."  As  we  stand  at  this  open  portal  to  the 
Elysian  Fields  of  literature,  there  may  fall  upon  us 
something  of  the  beauty,  something  even  of  the 
solemn  stillness,  of  the  arched  cathedral  with  its 
golden  windows.  But  how  inadequate  is  the  Gothic 
cathedral,  or  the  Greek  temple,  to  symbolize  the 
temple  of  literature. 

Within  less  than  a  score  of  years  there  has  been 
such  reading  of  varied  literary  masterpieces  by  chil- 
dren as  to  bring  us  face  to  face  with  a  problem  of 
prime  significance  in  education,  the  place  and  im- 
portance of  literature  in  the  education  of  American 
children. 


2  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

Millions  of  children  are  introduced  yearly  to  book- 
land,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  greater  importance  than 
what  Congress  does,  what  provision  is  made  for 
these  oncoming  millions  in  the  sunlit  fields  and 
forest  glades  of  literature,  where  the  boys  and  girls 
walk  in  happy  companionship  with  the  "wisest  and 
wittiest"  of  our  race.  We  have  now  had  enough 
experience  with  these  treasures  of  culture  to  get  a 
real  foretaste  of  the  feast  prepared  for  the  growing 
youth.  We  know  that  their  appetites  are  keen  and 
their  dfgestive  powers  strong.  It  is  incumbent  upon 
educators  to  get  a  comprehensive  survey  of  this  land 
and  to  estimate  its  resources.  Other  fields  of  study, 
like  natural  science,  geography,  music,  etc.,  are 
undergoing  ths  same  scrutiny  as  to  their  educative 
value.  Literature,  certainly  a  peer  in  the  hierarchy 
of  great  studies,  if  not  supreme  in  value  above  others, 
is  one  of  the  most  difficult  to  estimate.  Tangible 
proofs  of  the  vital  culture-force  of  good  literature 
upon  growing  minds  can  be  given  in  many  individual 
cases.  But  to  what  degree  it  has  general  or  uni- 
versal fitness  to  awaken,  strengthen,  and  refine  all 
minds,  is  in  dispute. 

It  seems  clear,  at  least,  that  only  those  who  show 
taste  and  enthusiasm  for  a  choice  piece  of  literature 
can  teach  it  with  success.  This  requirement  of  ap- 
preciation and  enjoyment  of  the  study  is  more  im- 
perative in  literature,  because  its  appeal  is  not  merely 
to  the  intellect  and  the  reason,  a^  in  other  studies, 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  3 

but  especially  to  the  emotions  and  higher  aesthetic 
judgments,  to  moral  and  religious  sentiment  in  ideal 
representation. 

It  has  been  often  observed  that  discussions  of  the 
superior  educative  value  of  literature  before  bodies 
of  teachers,  while  entertaining  and  delightful,  fall  far 
short  of  lasting  results  because  of  the  teachers'  nar- 
row experience  with  literature.  In  the  case  of  many 
teachers,  the  primitive  alphabet  of  literary  apprecia- 
tion is  lacking,  and  the  most  enthusiastic  appeals  to 
the  charm  and  exaltation  of  such  studies  fall  harmless. 
Yet  literature  in  the  schools  is  hopeless  without  teach- 
ers who  have  felt  at  home  in  this  delightsome  land, 
this  most  real  world  of  ideal  strength  and  beauty. 

The  discussion  of  the  subject  for  teachers  is  beset, 
therefore,  with  peculiar  and  seemingly  insurmount- 
able difficulties.  The  strength,  charm,  and  refine- 
ment of  literature  are  known  only  to  those  who 
have  read  the  masters  with  delight,  while  even 
people  of  cultured  taste  listen  doubtfully  to  the 
praise  of  authors  they  have  never  read.  To  one 
enamoured  of  the  music  of  Tennyson's  songs,  the 
very  suggestion  of  "  In  Memoriam "  awakens  en- 
thusiasm. To  one  who  has  not  read  Tennyson  and 
his  like,  silence  on  the  subject  is  golden.  To  those 
not  much  travelled  in  the  fields  of  literature,  there 
is  danger  of  speaking  in  an  unknown  tongue,  while 
they,  of  all  others,  need  a  plain  and  convincing  word. 
To  speak  this  plain  and  convincing  word  to  those 


4  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

who  may  have  acquired  but  little  relish  for  literature, 
and  that  little  only  in  the  fragmentary  selections  of 
the  school  readers,  is  a  high  and  difficult  aim.  But 
teachers  are  willing  to  learn,  and  to  discover  new 
sources  of  enthusiasm  in  their  profession.  It  is 
probable,  also,  that  the  original  capacity  to  enjoy 
great  literature  is  much  more  common  than  is  often 
supposed,  and  that  the  great  average  of  teachers  is 
quite  capable  of  receiving  this  powerful  stimulus. 
The  fact  is,  our  common  schools  have  done  so 
little,  till  of  late,  to  cultivate  this  fine  taste,  that 
we  have  faint  •  reason  to  expect  it  in  our  teachers. 

Overwhelmed  as  we  are  with  the  folly  of  indulg- 
ing in  the  praise  of  literature  before  many  whose 
ears  have  been  but  poorly  attuned  to  the  sweet 
melody  or  majestic  rhythm  of  the  masters,  we  still 
make  bold  to  grapple  with  this  argument.  There 
is  surely  no  subject  to  which  the  teachers  need  more 
to  open  their  eyes  and  ears  and  better  nature,  so  as  to 
take  in  the  enrichment  it  affords.  There  is  encour- 
agement in  the  fact  that  many  teachers  fully  appre- 
ciate the  worth  of  these  writers,  and  have  succeeded 
in  making  their  works  beautiful  and  educative  to 
the  children.  Very  many  other  teachers  are  capable 
of  the  full  refreshing  enjoyment  of  classic  works, 
when  their  attention  and  labor  are  properly  expended 
upon  them.  The  colleges,  universities,  high  schools, 
and  normal  schools  have  largely  abandoned  the  dull 
epitomizing  of  literature,  the  talk  about  authors,  for 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE   OF    LITERATURE  5 

the  study  of  the  works  themselves  of  the  masters. 
The  consequence  is,  that  the  study  of  literature  in 
English  is  becoming  an  enthusiasm,  and  teachers 
of  this  type  are  multiplying. 

The  deeper  causes  for  this  widespread  lack  of 
literary  appreciation  among  the  people,  and  even 
among  teachers  and  scholars,  is  found  partly  in  the 
practical,  scientific,  and  utilitarian  spirit  of  the  age, 
and  partly  in  the  corresponding  unliterary  courses 
of  study  which  have  prevailed  everywhere  in  our 
common  schools.  The  absence  of  literary  standards 
and  taste  among  teachers  is  due  largely  to  the 
failure  of  the  schools  themselves,  hitherto,  to  cul- 
tivate this  sort  of  proficiency.  Those  very  qualities 
which  give  to  literature  its  supreme  excellence,  its 
poetic  beauty,  its  artistic  finish  and  idealism,  are 
among  the  highest  fruits  of  culture,  and  are  far 
more  difficult  of  attainment  than  mere  knowledge. 
It  is  no  small  thing  to  introduce  the  rarest  and 
finest  culture  of  the  world  into  the  common  school,  and 
thus  propagate,  in  the  broadest  democratic  fashion, 
that  which  is  the  peculiar,  superior  refinement  of  the 
choicest  spirits  of  the  world.  If  progress  in  this 
direction  is  slow,  we  may  remember  that  the  best 
ideals  are  slow  of  attainment. 

There  is  also  an  intangible  quality  in  all  first-class 
literature,  which  is  not  capable  of  exact  description 
or  demonstration.  George  Willis  Cooke,  in  "  Poets 
and  Problems"  (pp.  31-32),  says:  — 


0  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

"  Poetry  enters  into  those  higher  regions  of  human 
experience  concerning  which  no  definite  account  can 
be  given ;  where  all  words  fail ;  about  which  all  we 
know  is  to  be  obtained  by  hints,  symbols,  poetic 
figures,  and  imagings.  Poetry  is  truer  and  more 
helpful  than  prose,  because  it  penetrates  those 
regions  of  feeling,  beauty,  and  spiritual  reality, 
where  definitions  have  no  place  or  justification. 
There  would  be  no  poetry  if  life  were  limited  to 
what  we  can  understand;  nor  would  there  be  any 
religion.  Indeed,  the  joy,  the  beauty,  and  the 
promise  of  life  would  all  be  gone  if  there  were 
nothing  which  reaches  beyond  our  powers  of  defini- 
tion. The  mystery  of  existence  makes  the  grandeur 
and  worth  of  man's  nature,  as  it  makes  for  him  his 
poetry  and  his  religion.  Poetry  suggests,  hints, 
images  forth,  what  is  too  wonderful,  too  transcen- 
dent, too  near  primal  reality,  too  full  of  life,  beauty, 
and  joy,  for  explanation  or  comprehension.  It 
embodies  man's  longing  after  the  Eternal  One, 
expresses  his  sense  of  the  deep  mystery  of  Being, 
voices  his  soul  sorrow,  illumines  his  path  with  hope 
and  objects  of  beauty.  Man's  aspiration,  his  sense 
of  imperfection,  his  yearning  for  a  sustaining  truth 
and  reality,  as  the  life  within  and  over  all  things, 
find  expression  in  poetry;  because  it  offers  the 
fittest  medium  of  interpretation  for  these  higher 
movements  of  soul.  Whenever  the  soul  feels  deeply, 
or  is  stirred  by  a  great  thought,  the  poetic  form  of 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  J 

utterance   at   once   becomes   the   most   natural    and 
desirable  for  its  loving  and  faithful  interpretation." 

This  intangible  excellence  of  superior  literature, 
which  defies  all  exact  measurement  by  the  yard- 
stick, puzzles  the  practical  man  and  the  scientist. 
There  is  no  way  of  getting  at  it  with  their  tools 
and  measurements.  They  are  very  apt  to  give  it 
up  in  disgust  and  dismiss  it  with  some  uncompli- 
mentary name.  But  Shakespeare's  mild  reign  con- 
tinues, and  old  Homer  sings  his  deathless  song  to 
those  who  wish  to  hear. 

Teachers  need  both  the  exact  methods  of  science  • 
and  the  spiritual  life  of  the  poets,  and  we  may  well 
spend  some  pains  in  finding  out  the  life-giving  prop-  « 
erties  of  good  literature. 

Lowell,  in  his  "  Books  and  Libraries,"  says  :  — 

"To  wash  down  the  drier  morsels  that  every  • 
library  must  necessarily  offer  at  its  board,  let  there 
be  plenty  of  imaginative  literature,  and  let  its  range 
be  not  too  narrow  to  stretch  from  Dante  to  the  elder 
Dumas.  The  world  of  the  imagination  is  not  the 
world  of  abstraction  and  nonentity,  as  some  conceive, 
but  a  world  formed  out  of  chaos  by  a  sense  of  the 
beauty  that  is  in  man  and  the  earth  on  which  he 

•  dwells.     It  is  the  realm  of   Might-be,  our  haven  of 
refuge  from  the  shortcomings  and  disillusions  of  life.  • 

*  It  is,  to  quote  Spenser,  who  knew  it  well,  — 

"  '  The  world's  sweet  inn  from  care  and  wearisome 
turmoil.'  Do  we  believe,  then,  that  God  gave  us  in 


8  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

mockery  this  splendid  faculty  of  sympathy  with 
things  that  are  a  joy  forever?  For  my  part,  I 
believe  that  the  love  and  study  of  works  of  imagina- 
tion is  of  practical  utility  in  a  country  so  profoundly 
material  (or,  as  we  like  to  call  it,  practical)  in  its 
leading  tendencies  as  ours.  The  hunger  after  purely 
intellectual  delights,  the  content  with  ideal  posses- 
sions, cannot  but  be  good  for  us  in  maintaining  a 
wholesome  balance  of  the  character  and  of  the  fac- 
ulties. I  for  one  shall  never  be  persuaded  that 
Shakespeare  left  a  less  useful  legacy  to  his  country- 

*  men   than   Watt.     We  hold  all  the  deepest,  all  the 
highest,  satisfactions  of  life  as  tenants  of  imagination. 

*  Nature  will  keep  up  the  supply  of  what  are  called 
hard-headed  people  without  our  help,  and,  if  it  come 
to  that,  there  are  other  as  good  uses  for  heads  as  at 

*  the  end  of  battering-rams." 

"  But  have  you  ever  rightly  considered  what  the 
mere  ability  to  read  means  ?  That  it  is  the  key  which 
admits  us  to  the  whole  world  of  thought  and  fancy 
and  imagination  ?  to  the  company  of  saint  and  sage, 
of  the  wisest  and  wittiest  at  their  wisest  and  wittiest 
moments  ?  That  it  enables  us  to  see  with  the  keen- 
est eyes,  hear  with  the  finest  ears,  and  listen  to  the 
sweetest  voices  of  all  time  ?  More  than  that,  it 
annihilates  time  and  space  for  us ;  it  revives  for  us 
without  a  miracle  the  Age  of  Wonder,  endowing  us 
with  the  shoes  of  swiftness  and  the  cap  of  darkness, 
so  that  we  walk  invisible  like  fern-seed,  and  witness 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  9 

unharmed  the  plague  at  Athens  or  Florence  or 
London ;  accompany  Caesar  on  his  marches,  or  look 
in  on  Catiline  in  council  with  his  fellow-conspirators, 
or  Guy  Fawkes  in  the  cellar  of  St.  Stephen's.  We 
often  hear  of  people  who  will  descend  to  any  servil- 
ity, submit  to  any  insult,  for  the  sake  of  getting  them- 
selves or  their  children  into  what  is  euphemistically 
called  good  society.  Did  it  ever  occur  to  them  that 
there  is  a  select  society  of  all  the  centuries  to  which 
they  and  theirs  can  be  admitted  for  the  asking,  a 
society,  too,  which  will  not  involve  them  in  ruinous 
expense,  and  still  more  ruinous  waste  of  time  and 
health  and  faculties  ? 

"The  riches  of  scholarship,  thgj^njgnitie^ofjitj 
erature,  defy  fortune  and  outlive  calamity.  They 
are  beyond  the  reach  of  thief  or  moth  or  rust.  As 
they  cannot  be  inherited,  so  they  cannot  be  alienated. 
But  they  may  be  shared,  they  may  be  distributed." 

This  notion  of  the  select  companionship  of  books 
finds  also  happy  expression  in  Ruskin's  "Sesame 
and  Lilies  "  :  — 

"  We  may  intrude  ten  minutes'  talk  on  a  cabinet 
minister,  answered  probably  with  words  worse  than 
silence,  being  deceptive  ;  or  snatch,  once  or  twice  in 
our  lives,  the  privilege  of  throwing  a  bouquet  in  the 
path  of  a  princess,  or  arresting  the  kind  glance  of 
a  queen.  And  yet  these  momentary  chances  we 
covet;  and  spend  our  years,  and  passions,  and 
powers  in  pursuit  of  little  more  than  these;  while, 


IO  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

meantime,  there  is  a  society  continually  open  to  us, 
of  people  who  will  talk  to  us  as  long  as  we  like, 
whatever  our  rank  or  occupation ;  —  talk  to  us  in 
the  best  words  they  can  choose,  and  with  thanks 
if  we  listen  to  them.  And  this  society,  because  it  is 
so  numerous  and  so  gentle,  — and  can  be  kept  wait- 
ing round  us  all  day  long,  not  to  grant  audience,  but 
to  gain  it;  kings  and  statesmen  lingering  patiently 
in  those  plainly  furnished  and  narrow  anterooms,  our 
bookcase  shelves,  —  we  make  no  account  of  that 
company,  —  perhaps  never  listen  to  a  'word  they 
would  say,  all  day  long ! 

"  This  court  of  the  past  differs  from  all  living 
aristocracy  in  this :  it  is  open  to  labor  and  to 
merit,  but  to  nothing  else.  No  wealth  will  bribe, 
no  name  overawe,  no  artifice  deceive,  the  guardian 
of  those  Elysian  gates.  In  the  deep  sense,  no  vile 
or  vulgar  person  ever  enters  there.  At  the  portieres 
of  that  silent  Faubourg  St.-Germain,  there  is  but 
brief  question,  '  Do  you  deserve  to  enter  ? '  '  Pass. 
Do  you  ask  to  be  the  companions  of  nobles  ?  Make 
yourself  noble,  and  you  shall  be.  Do  you  long  for 
the  conversation  of  the  wise  ?  Learn  to  understand 
it,  and  you  shall  hear  it.  But  on  other  terms  ?  — 
no.  If  you  will  not  rise  to  us,  we  cannot  stoop  to 
you.  The  living  lord  may  assume  courtesy,  the 
living  philosopher  explain  his  thought  to  you  with 
considerable  pain;  but  here  we  neither  feign  nor 
interpret ;  you  must  rise  to  the  level  of  our  thoughts 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  II 

if  you  would  be  gladdened  by  them,  and  share  our 
feelings,  if  you  would  recognize  our  presence.' " 
Wordsworth  says :  — 

"  Books,  we  know, 

Are  a  substantial  world,  both  pure  and  good  ; 
Round  these,  with  tendrils  strong  as  flesh  and  blood, 
Our  pastime  and  our  happiness  will  grow." 

Carlyle  says :  — 

"  We   learn    to    read,    in    various    languages,    in  • 
^various  sciences ;  we  learn  the  alphabet  and  letters 
of  all   manner  of  Books.     But  the   place  where  we 
are  to  get  knowledge,  even  theoretic  knowledge,  is 
the  Books  themselves  !     It  depends  on  what  we  read, 
after  all  manner  of  Professors  have  done  their  best 
for  us.     The   true    University   of    these   days   is   a  • 
Collection  of  Books." 

Were  we  willing  to  accept  the  testimony  of  great 
writers  and  thinkers,  we  should  but  too  quickly 
acknowledge  the  supreme  value  of  books.  James 
Baldwin,  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  "Book  Lover," 
has  collected  more  than  a  score  of  like  utterances 
of  great  writers  "  In  Praise  of  Books."  Such  tes- 
timony may  at  least  suggest  to  some  of  us  who 
have  drunk  but  sparingly  of  the  refreshing  springs  , 
of  literature,  that  there  are  better  things  in  store 
for  us. 

>C,       We  will  first  inquire  into  those  vital  elements  of 
strength  which  are  peculiar  to  literature. 

One  of  the  elements  that  goes  into  the  make-up 


12  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

of  a  masterpiece  of  literature  is  its  underlying,  per- 
manent truth.  Whether  written  to-day  or  in  earlier 
centuries,  it  must  contain  lasting  qualities  that  do 
not  fade  away  or  bleach  out  or  decay.  Time  and 
weather  do  not  stain  or  destroy  its  merit.  Some 
classics,  as  Gray's  "  Elegy,"  or  "  Thanatopsis,"  are 
like  cut  diamonds.  The  quality  that  gives  them 
force  and  brilliancy  is  inherent,  and  the  form  in 

•which  they  appear  has  been  wrought  out  by  an 
artist.  The  fundamental  value  of  a  classic  is  the* 
deep,  significant  truth  which,  like  the  grain  in  fine 
woods,  is  wrought  into  its  very  structure.  The  artist 
who  moulds  a  masterpiece  like  "  Enoch  Arden"or 
"  The  Scarlet  Letter "  is  not  a  writer  of  temporary 

•  fame.  The  truth  to  which  he  feels  impelled  to  give 
expression  is  strong,  natural,  human  truth,  which  has 
no  beginning  and  no  end.  It  is  true  forever.  Schil- 
ler's William  Tell,  though  idealized,  is  a  human 
hero  with  the  hearty  thoughts  of  a  real  man.  Shy- 
lock  is  a  Jew  of  flesh  and  blood,  who  will  laugh  if 
he  is  tickled,  and  break  into  anger  if  he  is  thwarted. 
The  true  poet  builds  upon  eternal  foundations.  The 
bookmaker  or  rhymer  is  satisfied  with  empty  or  fleet- 
ing thoughts  and  with  a  passing  notoriety.  New 
books  are  often  caught  up  and  blazoned  as  classics 
which  a  few  years  reveal  as  patchwork  and  tinsel. 
Time  is  a  sure  test.  Showy  tinsel  rusts  and  dulls 
its  lustre,  while  simple  poetic  truth  shines  with  grow- 
ing brightness. 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  13 

•^  Schlegel,  in  his  "  Dramatic  Art  and  Literature," 
thus  contrasts  the  false  and  the  true  (pp.  18-19):  — 
"  Poetry,  taken  in  its  widest  acceptation,  as  the 
power  of  creating  what  is  beautiful,  and  represent- 
ing it  to  the  eye  or  the  ear,  is  a  universal  gift  of 
Heaven,  being  shared  to  a  certain  extent  even  by 
those  whom  we  call  barbarians  and  savages.  In- 
ternal excellence  is  alone  decisive,  and  where  this 
exists  we  must  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  repelled  by 
the  external  appearance.  Everything  must  be  traced 
up  to  the  root  of  human  nature :  if  it  has  sprung 
from  thence,  it  has  an  undoubted  worth  of  its  own ; 
but  if,  without  possessing  a  living  germ,  it  is  merely 
externally  attached  thereto,  it  will  never  thrive  nor 
acquire  a  proper  growth.  Many  productions  which 

,  appear  at  first  sight  dazzling  phenomena  in  the  prov- 
ince of  the  fine  arts,  and  which  as  a  whole  have  been 
honored  with  the  appellation  of  works  of  a  golden 
age,  resemble  the  mimic  gardens  of  children:  impa- 
tient to  witness  the  work  of  their  hands,  they  break 
off  here  and  there  branches  and  flowers,  and  plant 
them  in  the  earth ;  everything  at  first  assumes  a  noble 

"  appearance  :  the  childish  gardener  struts  proudly  up 
and  down  among  his  showy  beds,  till  the  rootless 
plants  begin  to  droop,  and  hang  their  withered  leaves 
and  blossoms,  and  nothing  soon  remains  but  the  bare 
twigs,  while  the  dark  forest,  on  which  no  art  or  care 
was  ever  bestowed,  and  which  towered  up  toward 
heaven  long  before  human  remembrance,  bears  every 


14  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

blast  unshaken,  and  fills  the  solitary  beholder  with 
religious  awe." 

In  his  "Poets  and  Problems,"  George  Willis 
Cooke  fitly  portrays  the  poet's  function  (pp.  42,  32, 
and  44) :  — 

"  The  poet  must  be  either  a  teacher  or  an  artist ; 
or,  what  is  better,  he  may  be  both  in  one.  There- 
fore, he  can  never  stop  at  form  or  at  what  delights 
and  charms  merely.  He  must  go  on  to  the  expres- 
sion of  something  of  deep  and  real  abidingness  of 
thought  and  beauty.  This  comes  at  last  to  be  the 
real  thing  for  which  he  works,  which  he  seeks  to  bring 
into  expression  with  such  power  and  grandeur  in  it  as 
he  can  produce,  and  which  he  wills  to  send  forth  for 
the  sake  of  this  higher  impression  on  the  world." 

"  Man  has  within  him  a  need  for  the  food  which  • 
does  not  perish ;  he  always  is  finding  anew  that  he 
cannot  live  by  bread  alone.  His  mind  will  crave 
truth,  his  heart  love,  somewhat  to  satisfy  the  inward 
needs  of  life.  A  heavenly  homesickness  will  draw 
him  away  from  the  material  to  those  aesthetic  and 
spiritual  realities  which  are  at  the  source  of  the  tru- 
est poetry.  Whenever  these  wants  find  fit  interpreta- 
tion, the  poet  and  the  poetic  method  of  expression 
appear  and  give  to  them  outward  forms  of  beauty. 
Consequently  the  poet  is 

'  One  in  whom  persuasion  and  belief 
Have  ripened  into  faith,  and  faith  become 
A  passionate  intuition.' 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  1$ 

"  The  true  poet  is  the  man  of  his  time  who  is  most 
%  alive,  who  feels,  sees,  and  knows  the  most.  In  the 
measure  of  his  life  he  is  the  greatest  man  of  his  age 
and  country.  His  eye  sees  farther  and  more  clearly ; 
his  heart  beats  more  warmly  and  with  a  more  uni- 
versal sympathy ;  his  thought  runs  deeper  and  with 
a  swifter  current,  than  is  the  case  with  other  men. 
He  is  the  oracle  and  guide,  the  inspirer  and  the 
friend,  of  those  to  whom  he  sings.  He  creates  life 
under  the  ribs  of  dead  tradition ;  he  illumines  the 
present  with  heart  flames  of  beaconing  truth,  and  he 
makes  the  future  seem  like  home  joys  far  off,  but 
drawing  ever  nigher.  The  poet  is  the  world's 
lover." 

Emerson  found  the  Greeks  standing  as  close 
to  nature  and  truth  as  himself  ("  Essay  on  His- 
tory"):- 

"  The  costly  charm  of  the  ancient  tragedy,  and 
indeed  of  all  old  literature,  is,  that  the  persons  speak 
simply,  —  speak  as  persons  who  have  great  good 
sense  without  knowing  it,  before  yet  the  reflective 
habit  has  become  the  predominant  habit  of  the  mind. 
Our '  admiration  of  the  antique  is  not  admiration  of 
the  old,  but  of  the  natural.  The  Greeks  are  not 
reflective,  but  perfect  in  their  senses  and  in  their 
health,  with  the  finest  physical  organization  in  the 
world.  Adults  acted  with  the  simplicity  and  grace 
of  children." 

In  his  "  Defence  of  Poetry  "  Shelley  says :  — 


l6  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

"  Poetry  thus  makes  immortal  all  that  is  best  and  • 
most  beautiful  in  the  world ;  it  arrests  the  vanishing  * 
apparitions  which  haunt   the  interlunations  of   life, 
and,  veiling  them  or  in  language  or  in  form,  sends 
them    forth    among   mankind,    bearing   sweet    news 
of   kindred    joy   to   those   with   whom   their   sisters 
abide  —  abide,  because  there  is  no  portal  of  expres- 
sion  from    the    caverns   of    the    spirit   which    they 
inhabit  into  the  universe  of  things.     Poetry  redeems  « 
from  decay  the  visitations  of  the  divinity  in  man."     * 

Carlyle,  in  his  "  Heroes  and  Hero-worship," 
portrays  the  deeper  art  and  insight  of  the  poet 
thus : — 

"  For  my  own  part,  I  find  considerable  meaning  in 
the  old  vulgar  distinction  of  Poetry  being  metrical, 
having  music  in  it,  being  a  Song.  Truly,  if  pressed 
to  give  a  definition,  one  might  say  this  as  soon  as 
anything  else :  If  your  delineation  be  authentically 
musical,  musical  not  in  word  only,  but  in  heart  and 
substance,  in  all  the  thoughts  and  utterances  of  it, 
in  the  whole  conception  of.it,  then  it  will  be  poetical; 
if  not,  not.  Musical:  how  much  lies  in  that!  A 
musical  thought  is  one  spoken  by  a  mind  that  has 
penetrated  into  the  inmost  heart  of  the  thing;  de- 
tected the  inmost  mystery  of  it,  namely  the  melody 
that  lies  hidden  in  it ;  the  inward  harmony  of  coher- 
ence which  is  its  soul,  whereby  it  exists,  and  has  a 
right  to  be,  here  in  this  world.  All  inmost  things, 
we  may  say,  are  melodious ;  naturally  utter  them- 


EDUCATIONAL   VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  I/ 

selves  in  Song.  The  meaning  of  Song  goes  deep. 
Who  is  there  that,  in  logical  words,  can  express  the 
effect  music  has  upon  us?  A  kind  of  inarticulate 
unfathomable  speech,  which  leads  us  to  the  edge  of 
the  Infinite,  and  lets  us  for  moments  gaze  into  that ! 

"  Nay  all  speech,  even  the  commonest  speech,  has 
something  of  song  in  it:  not  a  parish  in  the  world 
but  has  its  parish-accent;  —  the  rhythm  or  tune  to 
which  the  people  there  sing  what  they  have  to  say ! 
Accent  is  a  kind  of  chanting;  all  men  have  accent 
of  their  own, — though  they  only  notice  that  of  others. 
Observe,  too,  how  all  passionate  language  does  of 
itself  become  musical,  —  with  a  finer  music  than  the 
mere  accent;  the  speech  of  a  man  even  in  zealous 
anger  becomes  a  chant,  a  song.  All  deep  things  are 
Song.  It  seems  somehow  the  very  central  essence 
of  us,  Song ;  as  if  all  the  rest  were  but  wrappages 
and  hulls.  The  primal  element  of  us ;  of  us,  and  of 
all  things.  The  Greeks  fabled  of  Sphere-Harmonies : 
it  was  the  feeling  they  had  of  the  inner  structure  of 
Nature ;  that  the  soul  of  all  her  voices  and  utterances 
was  perfect  music.  Poetry,  therefore,  we  will  call 
musical  Thought.  The  Poet  is  he  who  thinks  in 
that  manner.  At  bottom,  it  turns  still  on  power  of 
intellect;  it  is  a  man's  sincerity  and  depth  of  vision 
that  makes  him  a  Poet.  See  deep  enough,  and  you 
see  musically ;  the  heart  of  Nature  being  everywhere 
music,  if  you  can  only  reach  it." 

"Or  indeed  we  may  say  again,  it  is  in  what  I 
c 


l8  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

called  Portrait-painting,  delineating  of  men  and 
things,  especially  of  men,  that  Shakespeare  is  great. 
All  the  greatness  of  the  man  comes  out  decisively 
here.  It  is  unexampled,  I  think,  that  calm  creative 
perspicacity  of  Shakespeare.  The  thing  he  looks 
at  reveals  not  this  or  that  face  of  it,  but  its  inmost 
heart,  and  generic  secret:  it  dissolves  itself  as  in 
light  before  him,  so  that  he  discerns  the  perfect 
structure  of  it.  Creative,  we  said:  poetic  creation, 
what  is  this,  too,  but  seeing  the  thing  sufficiently? 
The  word  that  will  describe  the  thing,  follows  of 
itself  from  such  clear  intense  sight  of  the  thing. 
And  is  not  Shakespeare's  morality,  his  valor,  candor, 
tolerance,  truthfulness  ;  his  whole  victorious  strength 
and  greatness,  which  can  triumph  over  such  obstruc- 
tions, visible  there  too?  Great  as  the  world!  No 
twisted,  poor  convex-concave  mirror,  reflecting  all 
objects  with  its  own  convexities  and  concavities;  a 
perfectly  level  mirror,  —  that  is  to  say  withal,  if  we 
will  understand  it,  a  man  justly  related  to  all  things 
and  men,  a  good  man.  It  is  truly  a  lordly  spectacle 
how  this  great  soul  takes  in  all  kinds  of  men  and 
objects,  a  Falstaff,  an  Othello,  a  Juliet,  a  Coriolanus ; 
sets  them  all  forth  to  us  in  their  round  completeness ; 
loving,  just,  the  equal  brother  of  all.  '  Novum 
Organum/  and  all  the  intellect  you  will  find  in 
Bacon,  is  of  a  quite  secondary  order ;  earthy,  mate- 
rial, poor  in  comparison  with  this.  Among  modern 
men,  one  finds,  in  strictness,  almost  nothing  of  the 


EDUCATIONAL   VALUE   OF    LITERATURE  IQ 

same  rank.  Goethe  alone,  since  the  days  of  Shake- 
speare, reminds  me  of  it.  Of  him,  too,  you  say  that 
he  saw  the  object;  you  may  say  what  he  himself 
says  of  Shakespeare, '  His  characters  are  like  watches 
with  dial-plates  of  transparent  crystal;  they  show 

«»you  the  hour  like  others,  and  the  inward  mechanism 

salso  is  all  visible.'  " 

"  Dante,  for  depth  of  sincerity,  is  like  an  antique 
Prophet,  too ;  his  words,  like  theirs,  come  from  his 
very  heart.  One  need  not  wonder  if  it  were  pre- 
dicted that  his  Poem  might  be  the  most  enduring 
thing  our  Europe  has  yet  made;  for  nothing  so 
endures  as  a  truly  spoken  word.  All  cathedrals, 
pontificalities,  brass  and  stone,  and  outer  arrange- 
ment never  so  lasting,  are  brief  in  comparison  to  an 
unfathomable  heart-song  like  this :  one  feels  as  if 
it  might  survive,  still  of  importance  to  men,  when 
these  had  all  sunk  into ,  new  irrecognizable  combina- 
tions, and  had  ceased  individually  to  be.  Europe 
has  made  much ;  great  cities,  great  empires,  encyclo- 
paedias, creeds,  bodies  of  opinion  and  practice :  but 
it  has  made  little  of  the  class  of  Dante's  Thought. 
Homer  yet  is,  veritably  present  face  to  face  with 
every  open  soul  of  us ;  and  Greece,  where  is  it  ? 
Desolate  for  thousands  of  years ;  away,  vanished ; 
a  bewildered  heap  of  stones  and  rubbish,  the  life 
and  existence  of  it  all  gone.  Like  a  dream ;  like 
the  dust  of  King  Agamemnon !  Greece  was ;  Greece, 
except  in  the  words  it  spoke,  is  not." 


2O  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

J.  C.  Shairp,  in  his  "  On  Poetic  Interpretation  of 
Nature  "  (p.  19),  says  :  — 

"  The  real  nature  and  intrinsic  truth  of  Poetry  will 
be  made  more  apparent,  if  we  may  turn  aside  for 
a  moment  to  reflect  on  the  essence  of  that  state  of 
mind  which  we  call  poetic,  the  genesis  of  that  crea- 
tion  which  we  call  Poetry.  Whenever  any  object  of 
sense,  or  spectacle  of  the  outer  world,  any  truth  of 
reason,  or  event  of  past  history,  any  fact  of  human 
experience,  any  moral  or  spiritual  reality ;  whenever, 
in  short,  any  fact  or  object  which  the  sense,  or  the 
intellect,  or  the  soul,  or  the  spirit  of  man  can  appre- 
hend, comes  home  to  one  so  as  to  touch  him  to  the 
quick,  to  pierce  him  with  a  more  than  usual  vivid- 
ness and  sense  of  reality,  then  is  awakened  that 
stirring  of  the  imagination,  that  glow  of  emotion,  in 
which  Poetry  is  born.  There  is  no  truth  cognizable 
by  man  which  may  not  shape  itself  into* Poetry." 

The  passages  just  quoted  are  but  examples  of 
many  that  might  be  cited  expressing  the  strength 
and  scope  of  the  poetic  spirit,  its  truth-revealing 
quality,  its  penetrating  yet  comprehensive  grasp  of 
the  realities.  Shelley  says,  "  A  poem  is  the  very 
image  of  life  expressed  in  its  eternal  truth " ;  and 
Wordsworth  that  poetry  is  "  the  breath  and  finer  spirit 
of  all  knowledge."  These  utterances  will  hardly  be 
deemed  poetical  extravagancies  to  one  who  has  read 
such  things  as  the  Ninetieth  Psalm,  "  King  Lear,"  or 
"The  Deserted  Village,"  or  "Elaine." 


EDUCATIONAL   VALUE   OF   LITERATURE  21 

There  is  no  form  of  inspiring  truth  which  does  not 
find  expression  in  literature,  but  it  is  preeminently  a 
revelation  of  human  life  and  experience,  a  proclama- 
tion from  the  housetops  of  the  supreme  beauty  and 
excellence  of  truth  and  virtue.  This  brings  us  close 
to  the  question  of  moral  education,  and  the  elements 
in  literature  that  contribute  to  this  end.  Literary 
critics  are  quick  to  take  alarm  at  the  propensity  of  the 
schoolmaster  and  the  moralist  to  make  literature  the 
vehicle  of  moral  training.  To  saddle  the  poets  with 
a  moral  purpose  would  be  like  changing  Pegasus  into 
a  plough-horse.  But  the  moral  quality  in  the  best 
literature  is  not  something  saddled  on,  it  is  rather 
like  the  frame  and  muscle  which  give  strength  to 
the  body,  or,  to  use  a  more  fitting  figure,  it  is  the 
very  pulse  and  heart-beat  of  the  highest  idealism. 
The  proneness  toward  moralizing,  toward  formal 
didacticism,  can  be  best  of  all  corrected  by  the  use 
of  choice  literature.  The  best  literature  is  free  from 
moral  pedantry,  but  full  of  moral  suggestion  and 
stimulus.  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman  says,  in  his 
"Nature  and  Elements  fof  Poetry"  (p.  216):  — 

"The  highest  wisdom  —  that  of  ethics  —  seems 
closely  affiliated  with  poetic  truth.  A  prosaic  moral 
is  injurious  to  virtue,  by  making  it  repulsive.  The 
moment  goodness  becomes  tedious  and  tmideal  in  a 
work  of  art,  it  is  not  real  goodness;  the  would-be 
artist,  though  a  very  saint,  has  mistaken  his  form  of 
expression.  On  the  other  hand,  extreme  beauty  and 


22  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

power  in  a  poem  or  picture  always  carry  a  moral, 
they  are  inseparable  from  a  certain  ethical  standard ; 
while  vice  suggests  a  depravity.  .  .  .  An  obtrusive 
moral  in  poetic  form  is  a  fraud  on  its  face,  and  out- 
lawed of  art.  But  that  all  great  poetry  is  essentially 
ethical  is  plain  from  any  consideration  of  Homer, 
Dante,  and  the  best  dramatists  and  lyrists,  old  and 
new." 

In  literature,  as  in  life,  those  persons  make  the* 
strongest  moral  impression  who  have  the  least  ex- 
press discussion  of  morals.  Their  actions  speak,  and 
the  moral  qualities  appear,  not  in  didactic  formality 
and  isolation,  but  in  their  life  setting.  This  is  seen 
in  the  great  dramas,  novels,  and  epic  poems. 

'These  masterpieces  are  of  strong  and  lasting  value 
to  the  schools  because  they  bring  out  human  conduct 
and  character  in  a  rich  variety  of  forms  corresponding 
to  life.  Against  the  background  of  scenery  created 
by  the  poet,  men  and  women  and  children  march 
along  to  their  varied  performances.  Theseus,  Ulysses, 
Crusoe,  Aladdin,  Alfred,  Horatius,  Cinderella,  Portia, 
Evangeline,  —  they  speak  and  act  before  us  with  all ' 
the  realism  and  fidelity  to  human  instincts  peculiar  to  * 
the  poet's  art.  These  men  and  women,  who  are  set 
in  action  before  us,  stir  up  all  our  dormant  thought- 
energy.  We  observe  and  judge  their  motives  and 
approve  or  condemn  their  actions.  We  are  stirred  to 
sympathy  or  pity  or  anger.  Such  an  intense  study 
of  motives  and  conduct,  as  offered  in  literature,  is 


EDUCATIONAL   VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  23 

like  a  fresh  spring  from  which  well  up  strengthening 
waters.  The  warmth  and  energy  with  which  judg- 
ments  are  passed  upon  the  deeds  of  children  and 
adults  is  the  original  source  of  moral  ideas.  Litera- 
ture is  especially  rich  in  opportunities  to  register 
these  convictions.  It  is  not  the  bare  knowledge  of 
right  and  wrong  developed,  but  the  deep  springs  of 
feeling  and  emotion  are  opened,  which  gush  up  into 
volitions  and  acts. 

Just  as  we  form  opinions  of  people  from  their 
individual  acts,  and  draw  inferences  as  to  their  char- 
acter and  motives,  so  the  overt  act  of  Brutus  or  of 
Miles  Standish  stands  out  so  clear  against  the  back- 
ground of  passing  events  that  an  unerring  judgment 
falls  upon  the  doer.  A  single  act,  seen  in  its  rela- 
tions, always  calls  forth  such  a  sentence  of  good  or 
ill.  Whether  it  be  a  gentle  deed  of  mercy,  or  the 
hammer-stroke  that  fells  a  giant  or  routs  an  army,  as 
with  Charles  M artel  or  Alfred,  the  sense  of  right  or 
wrong  is  the  deep  underflow  that  gives  meaning  to  all 
events  and  stamps  character, 

There  is,  however,  a  deeper  and  more  intense  moral 
teaching  in  literature  than  that  which  flows  from  the 
right  or  wrong  of  individual  acts.  The  whole  life 
and  evolution  of  character  in  a  person,  if  graphically 
drawn,  reveal  the  principles  of  conduct  and  their 
fruitage.  Character  is  a  growth.  Deeds  ^e__only_ 
the  outward  signs  of  the  direction  in  which  the  soul 
is  moving.  A  dramatist  like  Shakespeare,  or  a  novel- 


24  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

1st  like  George  Eliot,  gives  us  a  biographical  develop- 
ment. Deeds  are  done  which  leave  their  traces. 
Tendencies  are  formed  which  grow  into  habits,  and 
thus  a  character  ripens  steadily  toward  its  reward. 
We  become  conscious  that  certain  deeper  principles 
control  thought  and  action,  whether  good  or  bad. 
There  is  a  rule  of  law,  a  sort  of  fatalism,  in  human 
life.  "  The  mills  of  the  gods  grind  slow,  but  they 
grind  exceeding  small."  It  is  the  function  of  the 
dramatist  or  novelist  to  reveal  these  working  princi- 
ples in  conduct.  When  the  principle  adopted  by  the 
actor  is  a  good  one,  it  works  out  well-being  in  spite  of 
misfortunes  ;  when  evil,  the  furies  are  on  the  track  of 
the  evil-doer.  Men  do  not  gather  grapes  of  thorns 
or  figs  of  thistles.  As  we  move  on  from  step  to  step 
in  a  life-history,  the  sympathy  deepens.  The  fatal 
influence  of  a  false  step,  followed  up,  is  keenly  felt 
by  the  reader ;  the  upward  tendency  of  a  right  act 
inspires  and  lifts  into  freedom.  But  whether  we  love 
or  hate  or  pity,  the  character  moves  on  in  the  course 
which  his  deeds  mark  out.  When  finally  he  is  over- 
whelmed in  shame  and  defeat,  we  see  the  early  ten- 
dencies and  later  forces  which  have  led  to  this  result. 
If  ethical  triumph  is  achieved,  we  recognize  the  re- 
ward of  generous,  unselfish  impulses  followed  out. 

As  the  interest  in  such  a  life-history  deepens,  the 
lessons  it  evolves  come  out  with  convincing  and 
overwhelming  power.  The  effect  of  a  great  novel 
or  drama  is  more  intense  and  lasting  than  any 


A  OF  THE 

I   UNIVER 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE    OF    LITERATURE 


\ 

SITY  j 
2§/ 


sermon.  The  elements  of  thought  and  feeling  have 
been  accumulating  energy  and  momentum  through 
all  the  scenes,  and  when  contracted  into  a  single 
current  at  the  close  they  sweep  forward  with  the 
strength  of  a  river.  A  masterpiece  works  at  the 
foundations  of  our  sympathies  and  moral  judgments. 
To  bring  ourselves  under  the  spell  of  a  great  author 
and  to  allow  him,  hour  after  hour  and  perhaps  for 
days  in  succession,  to  sway  our  feelings  and  rule 
far  up  among  the  sources  of  our  moral  judgments, 
is  to  give  him  great  opportunity  to  stamp  our  char- 
acter with  his  convictions.  We  seldom  spend  so 
many  hours  in  close  companionship  with  a  living 
friend  as  with  some  master  of  the  art  of  character- 
delineation.  Children  are  susceptible  to  this  strong 
influence.  Many  of  them  take  easily  to  books,  and 
many  others  need  but  wise  direction  to  bring  them 
under  the  touch  of  their  formative  influence.  A 
book  sometimes  produces  a  more  lasting  effect  upon 
the  character  and  conduct  of  a  child  than  a  close 
companion.  Nor  is  this  true  only  in  the  case  of 
book-lovers.  It  is  probable  that  the  great  majority 
of  children  may  feel  the  wholesome  effect  of  such 
books  if  wisely  used  at  the  right  time.  To  select 
a  few  of  the  best  books  as  companions  to  a  child, 
and  teach  him  to  love  their  companionship,  is  one 
of  the  most  hopeful  things  in  education.  The  boy 
or  girl  who  reads  some  of  our  choice  epics,  stories, 
novels,  dramas,  and  biographies,  allowing  the  mind 


26  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

to  ponder  upon  the  problems  of  conduct  involved, 
will  receive  many  deep  and  permanent  moral  lessons. 
The  realism  with  which  the  artist  clothes  his  char- 
acters only  strengthens  the  effect  and  makes  them 
lasting  food  for  thought  in  the  coming  years.  Even 
in  early  childhood  we  are  able  to  detect  what  is 

1  noble  and  debasing  in  conduct  as  thus  graphically 
and  naturally  revealed,  and  a  child  forms  an  unerring 
judgment  along  moral  lines.  The  best  influence  that 
literature  has  to  bestow,  therefore,  may  produce  its  ef- 

*•  feet  early  in  tender  years,  where  impressions  are  deep 
and  permanent.  There  are  many  other  elements  of 
lasting  culture-value  in  the  study  of  literature,  but 
first  of  all  the  deep  and  permanent  truths  taught  by 

'  the  classics  are  those  of  human  life  and  conduct. 

George  Willis  Cooke  gives  clear  and  simple  ex- 
pression to  the  ethical  force  in  poetry  ("  Poets  and 
Problems,"  p.  46)  :  - 

"True  poetry  is  for  instruction  as  much  as  for 
pleasure,  though  it  inculcate  no  formal  lessons. 
Right  moral  teaching  is  by  example  far  more  than 
by  precept ;  and  the  real  poet  teaches  through  the 
higher  purpose  he  arouses,  by  the  stimulus  he  gives, 
and  by  the  purer  motive  he  awakens.  He  gives 
no  precept  to  recite,  no  homilies  to  con  over,  no  rules 
for  formal  repetition ;  but  he  gives  the  spirit  of  life 
and  the  impulse  of  true  activity.  An  infallible  test 
of  the  great  poet  is  that  he  inspires  us  with  a  sense 
of  the  richness  and  grandeur  of  life." 


EDUCATIONAL   VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  2/ 

Rooted  in  the  genuine  realism  of  social  life,  moral 
ideas  are  still  more  strongly  energized  by  feeling  and 
even  by  passion.  It  is  doubtful  if  moral  ideas  have 
any  roots  that  do  not  reach  down  into  deep  and 
genuine  feeling. 

Ruskin,  in  "  Sesame  and  Lilies,"  speaks  to  the 
point. 

"Having  then  faithfully  listened  to  the  great 
teachers,  that  you  may  enter  into  their  Thoughts, 
you  have  yet  this  higher  advance  to  make,  —  you 
have  to  enter  into  their  Hearts.  As  you  go  to  them 
first  for  clear  sight,  so  you  must  stay  with  them  that 
you  may  share  at  last  their  just  and  mighty  Passion. 
Passion,  or  "  sensation."  I  am  not  afraid  of  the 
word ;  still  less  of  the  thing.  You  have  heard  many 
outcries  against  sensation  lately ;  but,  I  can  tell  you, 
it  is  not  less  sensation  we  want,  but  more.  The  en- 
nobling difference  between  one  man  and  another  — 
between  one  animal  and  another  —  is  precisely  in 
this,  that  one  feels  more  than  another.  If  we  were 
sponges,  perhaps  sensation  might  not  be  easily  got 
for  us;  if  we  were  earthworms,  liable  at  every 
instant  to  be  cut  in  two  by  the  spade,  perhaps  too 
much  sensation  might  not  be  good  for  us.  But, 
being  human  creatures,  it  is  good  for  us ;  nay,  we 
are  only  human  in  so  far  as  we  are  sensitive,  and 
our  honor  is  precisely  in  proportion  to  our  passion. 

"  You  know  I  said  of  that  great  and  pure  society 
of  the  dead,  that  it  would  allow  'no  vain  or  vulgar 


28  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

person  to  enter  there.'  What  do  you  think  I  meant 
by  a  '  vulgar '  person  ?  What  do  you  yourselves 
mean  by  *  vulgarity '  ?  You  will  find  it  a  fruitful 
subject  of  thought;  but,  briefly,  the  essence  of  all 
vulgarity  lies  in  want  of  sensation.  Simple  and  in- 
nocent vulgarity  is  merely  an  untrained  and  unde- 
veloped bluntness  of  body  and  mind ;  but  in  true 
inbred  vulgarity,  there  is  a  deathful  callousness, 
which,  in  extremity,  becomes  capable  of  every  sort 
of  bestial  habit  and  crime,  without  fear,  without 
pleasure,  without  horror,  and  without  pity.  It  is  in 
the  blunt  hand  and  the  dead  heart,  in  the  diseased 
habit,  in  the  hardened  conscience,  that  men  become 
vulgar ;  they  are  forever  vulgar,  precisely  in  pro- 
portion as  they  are  incapable  of  sympathy,  —  of 
quick  understanding,  —  of  all  that,  in  deep  insist- 
ence on  the  common,  but  most  accurate  term,  may 
be  called  the  '  tact '  or  touch-faculty  of  body  and 
soul ;  that  tact  which  the  Mimosa  has  in  trees,  which 
the  pure  woman  has  above  all  creatures,  —  fineness 
and  fulness  of  sensation,  beyond  reason,  —  the  guide 
and  sanctifier  of  reason  itself.  Reason  can  but  de- 
termine what  is  true :  it  is  the  God-given  passion  of 
humanity  which  alone  can  recognize  what  God  has 
made  good. 

"  We  come  then  to  the  great  concourse  of  the  Dead, 
not  merely  to  know  from  them  what  is  True,  but 
chiefly  to  feel  with  them,  what  is  Righteous.  Now 
to  feel  with  them  we  must  be  like  them ;  and  none 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE   OF   LITERATURE  2Q 

of  us  can  become  that  without  pains.  As  the  true 
knowledge  is  disciplined  and  tested  knowledge,  —  not 
the  first  thought  that  comes,  —  so  the  true  passion 
is  disciplined  and  tested  passion,  —  not  the  first 
passion  that  conies." 

When  we  add  to  this  deep  feeling  and  sympathy 
the  versatile  poetic  imagination  which  freely  con- 
structs all  phases  of  social  life  and  conduct,  we  have 
that  union  of  the  great  powers  of  the  mind  and  heart 
which  give  such  concentrated  ethical  energy  to  the 
best  literature. 

Shelley,  in  his  "  Defence  of  Poetry"  (pp.  13-14, 
20),  says:  — 

"The  whole  objection,  however,  of  the  immor- 
ality of  poetry  rests  upon  a  misconception  of  the 
manner  in  which  poetry  acts  to  produce  the  moral 
improvement  of  man.  Ethical  science  arranges 
the  elements  which  poetry  has  created,  and  pro- 
pounds schemes  and  proposes  examples  of  civil  and 
domestic  life;  nor  is  it  for  want  of  admirable  doc- 
trines that  men  hate,  and  despise,  and  censure, 
and  deceive,  and  subjugate  one  another.  But 
poetry  acts  in  another  and  diviner  manner.  It 
awakens  and  enlarges  the  mind  itself  by  rendering 
it  the  receptacle  of  a  thousand  unapprehended  com- 
binations of  thought.  Poetry  lifts  the  veil  from  the 
hidden  beauty  of  the  world,  and  makes  familiar 
objects  be  as  if  they  were  not  familiar ;  it  reproduces 
all  that  it  represents,  and  the  impersonations  clothed 


3O  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

in  its  Elysian  light  stand  thenceforward  in  the  minds 
of  those  who  have  once  contemplated  them,  as 
memorials  of  that  gentle  and  exalted  content  which 
extends  itself  over  all  thoughts  and  actions  with 
which  it  coexists.  The  great  secret  of  morals  is 
love ;  or  a  going  out  of  our  own  nature,  and  an 
identification  of  ourselves  with  the  beautiful  which 
exists  in  thought,  action,  or  person,  not  our  own.  A 
man,  to  be  greatly  good,  must  imagine  intensely 
and  comprehensively ;  he  must  put  himself  in  the 
place  of  another  and  of  many  others ;  the  pains 
and  pleasures  of  his  species  must  become  his  own. 
The  great  instrument  of  moral  good  is  the  imagina-  9 
tion ;  and  poetry  administers  to  the  effect  by  acting^ 
upon  the  cause." 

"  The  drama  being  that  form  under  which  a 
greater  number  of  modes  of  expression  of  poetry 
are  susceptible  of  being  combined  than  any  other, 
the  connection  of  poetry  and  social  good  is  more 
observable  in  the  drama  than  in  whatever  other 
form.  And  it  is  indisputable  that  the  highest  per- 
fection of  human  society  has  ever  corresponded  with 
the  highest  dramatic  excellence  ;  and  that  the  corrup- 
tion or  the  extinction  of  the  drama  in  a  nation  where 
it  has  once  flourished,  is  a  mark  of  corruption  of 
manners,  and  an  extinction  of  the  energies  which 
sustain  the  soul  of  social  life." 

The  inseparable   union  of  the  intellectual,  moral,  * 
and    imaginative     elements     is   well    expressed   by . 


EDUCATIONAL   VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  3! 

Shairp      in     his     "  On     Poetic     Interpretation     of 
Nature  "  (PP-    23-24):  — 

"  Imagination  in  its  essence  seems  to  be,  from  the 
first,  intellect  and  feeling  blended  and  interpenetrat- 
ing each  other.  Thus  it  would  seem  that  purely 
intellectual  acts  belong  to  the  surface  and  outside 
of  our  nature,  —  as  you  pass  onward  to  the  depths, 
the  more  vital  places  of  the  soul,  the  intellectual, 
the  emotional,  and  the  moral  elements  are  all  equally 
at  work,  —  and  this  in  virtue  of  their  greater  reality, 
their  more  essential  truth,  their  nearer  contact  with 
the  centre  of  things.  To  this  region  belong  all 
acts  of  high  imagination  —  the  region  intermediate 
between  pure  understanding  and  moral  affection, 
partaking  of  both  elements,  looking  equally  both 
ways." 

i  Besides  the  moral  element  or  fundamental  truth  in- 
volved, every  classic  masterpiece  is  infused  therefore 
with  an  element  of  imagination.  Whether  in  prose  or 
verse,  the  artist  reveals  himself  in  the  creative  touch. 
The  rich  coloring  and  imagery  of  his  own  mind  give 
a  tint  to  every  object.  The  literary  artist  is  never 
lacking  in  a  certain,  perhaps  indefinable,  charm.  He 
possesses  a  magic  wand  that  transforms  into  beauty 
every  commonplace  object  that  is  met.  We  observe 
this  in  Irving,  Hawthorne,  Warner,  as  well  as  in  still 
greater  literary  masters.  Our  poets,  novelists,  and 
essayists  must  all  dip  their  pens  in  this  magic  ink. 
Even  Webster  and  Burke,  Lincoln  and  Sumner,  must 


32  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

rise  to  the  region  of  fancy  if  they  give  their  thought 
sufficient  strength  of  wing  to  carry  it  into  the  coming 
years.  The  themes  upon  which  they  discoursed 
kindled  the  imagination  and  caused  them  to  break 
forth  into  figures  of  speech  and  poetic  license.  The 
creative  fancy  is  that  which  gives  beauty,  pictu- 
resqueness,  and  charm  to  all  the  work  of  poet  or 
novelist.  This  element  of  fancy  diffuses  itself  as 
a  living  glow  through  every  classic  product  that 
was  made  to  endure.  In  the  masters  of  style  the 
rhythmic  flow  and  energy  of  language  are  enlivened 
by  poetic  imagery.  Figures  of  speech  in  archi- 
tectural simplicity  and  chasteness  stand  out  to  sym- 
bolize thought.  That  keenness  and  originality  which 
astonishes  us  in  master  thinkers  is  due  to  the  magic 
vigor  and  picturesqueness  of  their  images.  Under- 
neath and  permeating  all  this  wealth  of  ideas  is 
the  versatile  and  original  mind  which  sees  everything 
in  the  glow  of  its  own  poetic  temperament,  kin- 
dling the  susceptible  reader  to  like  inspiration. 
Among  literary  masters  this  creative  power  shows 
itself  in  an  infinite  variety  of  forms,  pours  itself 
through  a  hundred  divergent  channels,  and  links 
itself  so  closely  with  the  individuality  of  the  writer 
as  to  merge  imperceptibly  into  his  character  and 
style.  But  as  we  cannot  secure  wholesome  bread 
without  yeast,  so  we  shall  fail  of  a  classic  without 
imagination. 

Stedman     says :    "  If  anything    great    has    been 


EDUCATIONAL   VALUE   OF   LITERATURE  33 

achieved  without  exercise  of  the  imagination,  I  do 
not  know  it.  I  am  referring  to  striking  productions 
and  achievements,  not  to  acts  of  virtue.  Neverthe- 
less, at  the  last  analysis,  it  might  be  found  that 
imagination  has  impelled  even  the  saints  and 
martyrs  of  humanity.  Imagination  is  the  creative* 
origin  of  what  is  fine,  not  in  art  and  song  alone, 
but  also  in  all  forms  of  action  —  in  campaigns,  civil 
triumphs,  material  conquest.  I  have  mentioned  its 
indispensability  to  the  scientists."  He  says  further  : 
"  Vet  if  there  is  one  gift  which  sets  Shakespeare  at 
a  distance  even  from  those  who  approach  him  on 
one  or  another  side,  it  is  that  of  his  imagination. 
As  he  is  the  chief  of  poets,  we  infer  that  the  faculty 
in  which  he  is  supereminent  must  be  the  greatest  of 
poetic  endowments.  Yes :  in  his  wonderland,  as 
elsewhere,  imagination  is  king." 

Not  only  is  it  true  that  the  vitality  of  poets  and 
prose  writers,  the  conceptive  power  of  scientists, 
inventors,  and  business  organizers,  depend  upon 
the  fertility  and  strength  of  the  imagination,  but 
throughout  the  broader  reaches  of  common  humanity 
this  power  is  everywhere  present  —  constructive 
and  creative.  Max  M tiller  has  shown  that  the 
root  words  of  language  are  imbedded  in  metaphor, 
that  "  Language  is  fossil  poetry."  Again,  the 
mythologies  of  the  different  races,  grand  and  stately, 
or  fair  and  lovely,  are  the  immediate  product  of 
the  folk  mind. 


34  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

It  has  been  said  that  "  The  man  of  culture  is 
preeminently  a  man  of  imagination."  But  the 
kind  of  mental  alertness,  freedom,  and  joy  which  is 
suggested  by  the  term  culture  may  spring  up  in  the 
heart  of  every  boy  and  girl  endowed  with  a  modicum 
•of  human  nature.  Hamilton  Wright  Mabie,  in  his 
"  Books  and  Culture"  (pp.  148-149),  says  :  — 

"  The  development  of  the  imagination,  upon  the 
power  of  which  both  absorption  of  knowledge  and 
creative  capacity  depend,  is,  therefore,  a  matter  of 
supreme  importance.  To  this  necessity  educators 
will  some  day  open  their  eyes,  and  educational  sys- 
tems will  some  day  conform ;  meantime,  it  must  be 
done  mainly  by  individual  work.  Knowledge,  disci- 
pline, and  technical  training  of  the  best  sort  are 
accessible  on  every  hand ;  but  the  development  of 
the  faculty  which  unites  all  these  in  the  highest  form 
of  activity  must  be  secured  mainly  by  personal  effort. 
The  richest  and  most  accessible  material  for  this 
highest  education  is  furnished  by  art ;  and  the  form 
of  art  within  reach  of  every  civilized  man,  at  all 
times,  in  all  places,  is  the  book.  To  these  master- 
pieces, which  have  been  called  the  books  of  life,  all 
men  may  turn  with  the  assurance  that  as  the  supreme 
achievements  of  the  imagination  they  have  the  power 
of  awakening,  stimulating,  and  enriching  it  in  the 
highest  degree." 

Besides  the  strong  thread  of  truth  and  the  work 
of  the  swift-glancing  shuttle  of  imagination,  the 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE   OF    LITERATURE  35 

woven  fabric  of  the  literary  master  must  show  a 
beauteous  pattern  or  form.  The  melody  and  music 
of  poetry  spring  from  a  rhythmic  form.  Appar- 
ently stiff  and  formal,  it  is  yet  the  consensus  of 
critics  that  only  through  this  channel  can  the  soul 
of  truth  and  beauty  escape  from  the  poet,  and  mani- 
fest itself  to  others.  Says  George  Willis  Cooke, 
"The  poet  worships  at  the  triple  shrine  of  beauty, 
love,  and  truth ;  and  his  mission  is  to  teach  men  that 
all  other  objects  and  places  of  veneration  are  but 
faint  imitations  of  this  one  form  of  faith."  But  the 
spirit  of  this  worship  can  best  embody  itself  in  the 
poetic  form. 

Schlegel,  in  his  "  Dramatic  Art  and  Literature " 
(p.  340),  says:— • 

"  The  works  of  genius  cannot  therefore  be  per- 
mitted to  be  without  form ;  but  of  this  there  is  no 
danger.  .  .  .  [Some]  critics  .  .  .  interpret  it  [form] 
merely  in  a  mechanical,  and  not  in  an  organical 
sense.  .  .  .  Organical  form,  again,  is  innate ;  it 
unfolds  itself  from  within,  and  acquires  its  determi- 
nation contemporaneously  with  the  perfect  develop- 
ment of  the  germ.  We  everywhere  discover  such 
forms  in  nature  throughout  the  whole  range  of  living 
powers,  from  the  crystallization  of  salts  and  minerals 
to  plants  and  flowers,  and  from  these  again  to  the 
human  body.  In  the  fine  arts,  as  well  as  in  the 
domain  of  nature,  —  the  supreme  artist,  —  all  genuine 
forms  are  organical,  that  is,  determined  by  the  qual- 


36  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

ity  of  the  work.  In  a  word,  the  form  is  nothing  but 
a  significant  exterior,  the  speaking  physiognomy  of 
each  thing,  which,  as  long  as  it  is  not  disfigured  by 
any  destructive  accident,  gives  a  true  evidence  of  its 
hidden  essence." 

Some  products,  like  the  "Paradise  Lost,"  "Thana- 
topsis,"  and  "  Hamlet,"  show  such  a  perfect  fitness  of 
form  to  thought  that  every  effort  to  change  or  mod- 
ify is  profanation.  The  classic  form  and  thought  go 
together.  As  far  as  possible,  therefore,  it  is  desir- 
able to  leave  these  creations  in  their  native  strength, 
and  not  to  mar  the  work  of  masters.  The  poet  has 
moulded  his  thought  and  feeling  into  these  forms 
and  transfused  them  with  his  own  imagery  and  indi- 
viduality. The  power  of  the  writer  is  in  his  peculiar 
mingling  of  the  poetic  elements.  Our  English  and 
American  classics,  therefore,  should  be  read  in  their 
original  form  as  far  as  possible. 

A  fixed  form  is  not  always  necessary.  We  need 
many  of  the  stories  and  epics  that  were  written  in 
other  languages.  Fortunately  some  of  the  works  of 
the  old  poets  are  capable  of  taking  on  a  new  dress. 
The  story  of  Ulysses  has  been  told  in  verse  and 
prose,  in  translation,  paraphrase,  and  simple  nar- 
rative for  children.  Much,  indeed  of  the  old 
beauty  and  original  strength  of  the  poem  is  lost  in 
all  these  renderings  ;  but  the  central  truths  which 
give  the  poetic  work  its  persistent  value  are  still 
retained.  Such  a  poem  is  like  a  person ;  the  under- 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE   OF    LITERATURE  3/ 

lying  thought,  though  dressed  up  by  different  per- 
sons with  varying  taste  and  skill,  is  yet  the  same ; 
the  same  heart  beats  beneath  the  kingly  robes  and 
the  peasant's  frock.  Robinson  Crusoe  has  had  many 
renderings,  but  remains  the  same  old  story  in  spite  of 
variations.  The  Bible  has  been  translated  into  all 
modern  tongues,  but  it  is  a  classic  in  each.  The  Ger- 
mans claim  they  have  as  good  a  Shakespeare  as  we. 

But  many  of  the  best  masterpieces  were  originally 
written  in  other  languages,  and  to  be  of  use  to  us  the 
ancient  form  of  thought  must  be  broken.  The  spirit 
of  the  old  masters  must  be  poured  into  new  moulds. 
In  educating  our  children  we  need  the  stories  of 
Bellerophon,  Perseus,  Hercules,  Rustum,  Tell,  Sieg- 
fried, Virginius,  Roland,  Wallace,  King  Arthur. 
Happily  some  of  the  best  modern  writers  have  come 
to  our  help.  Walter  Scott,  Macaulay,  Dickens, 
Kingsley,  Hawthorne,  Irving,  and  Arnold  have 
gathered  up  the  old  wine  and  poured  it  into  new 
bottles.  They  have  told  the  old  stories  in  simple 
Anglo-Saxon  for  the  boys  and  girls  of  our  homes 
and  schools.  Nor  are  these  renderings  of  the  old 
masters  lacking  in  that  element  of  fancy  and  vigor 
of  expression  which  distinguishes  fertile  writers. 
They  have  entered  freely  and  fondly  into  the  old 
spirit,  and  have  allowed  it  to  pour  itself  copiously 
through  these  modern  channels.  It  takes  a  poet,  in 
fact,  to  modernize  an  ancient  story.  There  are, 
indeed,  many  renderings  of  the  old  stories  which 


38  SPECIAL   METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

are  not  ideal,  which,  however,  we  sometimes  use  for 
lack  of  anything  better. 

From  the  preceding  discussion  we  may  conclude 
that  a  choice  piece  of  literature  must  embody  a  last- 
ing truth,  reveal  the  permeating  glow  of  an  artist's 
imagination,  and  find  expression  in  some  form  of 
beauty.  But  these  elements  are  so  mingled  and 
interlaced,  so  organically  grown  into  one  living  plant, 
that  even  the  critics  have  given  up  the  effort  to 
dissect  and  isolate  them. 

There  are  other  strength-conferring  qualities  in 
good  literature  which  will  be  discussed  more  fully  in 
those  chapters  which  deal  with  the  particular  literary 
materials  selected  for  use  in  the  schools. 

Among  the  topics  to  be  treated  in  connection  with 
materials  which  illustrate  them,  are  the  following: 
the  strong  handling  of  essential  historical  ideas  in 
literature ;  the  best  novel  and  drama,  as  sources  and 
means  of  culture ;  religious  ideals  as  embodied  in  the 
choicest  forms  of  literature;  the  powerful  patriotic 
and  social  influence  of  the  best  writers;  the  educa- 
tive quality  of  the  humorous  phases  of  literature ;  the 
great  writers  as  models  of  skill  and  enthusiasm  in  * 
teaching. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  the  significance  of  literature 
among  great  studies  has  been  but  briefly  and  inade- 
quately suggested  by  these  few  quotations  and  com- 
ments. It  would  be  easy  to  multiply  similar  testimony 
from  the  most  competent  judges.  But  enough  has 


EDUCATIONAL    VALUE    OF    LITERATURE  39 

been  said  to  remind  teachers  of  this  rich  treasure 
house  of  educative  materials.  Those  teachers  who 
wish  to  p*obe  deeper  into  this  subject  will  find  that  it 
has  been  handled  in  a  masterly  way  by  some  of  the 
great  essayists  and  critics.  We  will  suggest  the  fol- 
lowing for  more  elaborate  study :  — 

Ruskin's  "  Sesame  and  Lilies."  The  power  and 
charm  of  Ruskin's  writing  appears  in  full  measure  in 
these  essays. 

Carlyle's  "  Heroes  and  Hero  Worship,"  especially 
the  chapters  on  "  The  Hero  as  Poet,"  and  "  The  Hero 
as  Man  of  Letters." 

Shelley's  "Defence  of  Poetry"  (edited  by  Cook, 
and  published  by  Ginn  &  Co.)  is  a  literary  master- 
piece of  rare  beauty  and  charm. 

Emerson's  "  Essay  on  History." 

George  Willis  Cooke,  ''Poets  and  Problems" 
(Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.).  The  first  chapter,  "  The 
Poet  as  Teacher,"  is  very  suggestive,  while  the  chap- 
ters on  Tennyson,  Ruskin,  and  Browning  are  fine 
introductions  for  those  who  will  study  the  authors 
themselves. 

"  The  Book  Lover,"  James  Baldwin  (McClurg  & 
Co.). 

Charles  Kingsley's  "  Literary  and  General  Essays" 
(Macmillan  &  Co.).  Chapter  on  "  English  Literature," 
and  others. 

Scudder's  "  Literature  in  Schools "  (Houghton, 
Mifnin,  &  Co.).  Excellent  for  teachers. 


4O  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

J.  C.  Shairp,  "  On  Poetic  Interpretation  of  Na- 
ture "  (Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.). 

Matthew  Arnold's  "  Sweetness  and  Light." 

Lowell's  "  Books  and  Libraries "  (Houghton, 
Mifflin,  &  Co.). 

Edmund  Clarence  Stedman's  "The  Nature  and 
Elements  of  Poetry  "  (Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.). 

It  is  not  implied  that  even  the  essays  of  critics  on 
the  merits  of  literature  can  take  the  place  of  a  study 
of  the  works  of  the  best  writers. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   USE   OF   MASTERPIECES   AS   WHOLES 

WITH  the  increasing  tendency  to  consider  the 
literary  quality  and  fitness  of  the  reading  matter  used 
in  our  schools,  longer  poems  and  stories,  like  "  Snow 
Bound,"  "  Rip  Van  Winkle,"  "  Hiawatha,"  "  Alad- 
din," "The  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish,"  "The 
Great  Stone  Face,"  and  even  "Lady  of  the  Lake" 
and  "Julius  Caesar,"  are  read  and  studied  as  com- 
plete wholes.  Many  of  the  books  now  used  as  read- 
ers are  not  collections  of  short  selections  and  extracts, 
as  formerly,  but  editions  of  single  poems,  or  kindred 
groups,  like  "  Sohrab  and  Rustum,"  or  the  "  Ara- 
bian Nights,"  or  "  Gulliver's  Travels,"  or  a  collection 
of  a  few  complete  stories  or  poems  of  a  single  author, 
as  Hawthorne's  "  Stories  of  the  White  Hills,"  or 
Lowell's  "  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,"  and  other  poems. 
Even  the  regular  series  of  readers  are  often  made  up 
largely  of  longer  poems  and  prose  masterpieces. 

The  significance  of  this  change  is  the  deeper  re- 
gard which  is  being  paid  to  good  literature  as  a  strong 
agency  of  true  culture.  The  real  thought  and  the 
whole  thought  of  the  best  authors  is  sought  for,  pre- 
supposing, of  course,  that  they  are  within  the  range 

41 


42  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

of  the  children's  comprehension.  The  reading  books 
of  a  generation  ago  contained  oftentimes  just  as 
choice  literary  materials  as  now ;  but  the  chief  pur- 
pose of  its  selection  was  to  give  varied  exercise  in 
oral  reading,  not  to  cultivate  a  taste  for  good  litera- 
ture by  furnishing  complete  poetic  and  prose  speci- 
mens for  full  and  enthusiastic  study.  The  teachers 
who  lay  stress  on  elocutionary  skill  are  not  quite 
satisfied  with  this  drift  toward  literary  study  as  such. 
It  remains  to  be  seen  how  both  aims,  good  oral  ren- 
dering and  superior  literary  training,  can  be  secured 
at  the  same  time.  , 

At  the  close  of  the  last  chapter  of  this  volume  we 
give  a  carefully  selected  series  of  the  literary  ma- 
terials adapted  to  the  different  grades.  This  body 
of  selections,  taken  from  a  wide  range  of  litera- 
ture, will  constitute  a  basis  for  our  whole  treatise. 
Having  made  plain  by  our  previous  discussion  what 
we  understand  by  the  quality  of  literary  masterpieces, 
we  will  next  consider  why  these  poems  and  stories 
should  be  read  and  studied  as  complete  wholes,  not 
by  fragments  or  by  extracts,  but  as  whole  works  of 
literary  art. 

i.  A  stronger  interest  is  developed  by  the  study, 
for  several  weeks,  of  a  longer  complete  masterpiece. 
The  interest  grows  as  we  move  into  such  a  story 
or  poem  as  "  Sohrab  and  Rustum."  A  longer  and 
closer  acquaintance  with  the  characters  represented 
produces  a  stronger  personal  sympathy,  as  in  the 


THE   USE    OF    MASTERPIECES   AS    WHOLES  43 

case  of  Cordelia  in  "  King  Lear,"  or  of  Silas  Marner. 
The  time  usually  spent  in  school  upon  some  classic 
fragment  or  selection  is  barely  sufficient  to  start  up 
an  interest.  It  does  not  bring  us  past  the  threshold 
of  a  work  of  art.  We  drop  it  just  at  the  point  where 
the  momentum  of  interest  begins  to  show  itself. 
Think  of  the  full  story  of  Aladdin  or  Crusoe  or 
Ulysses.  Take  an  extract  from  "  Lady  of  the 
Lake,"  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  " Evangeline."  The 
usual  three  or  four  pages  given  in  the  reader,  even 
if  taken  from  the  first  part,  would  scarcely  suffice  to 
bring  the  children  into  the  movement  of  the  story; 
but  oftentimes  the  fragment  is  extracted  from  the 

*  body  of  the  play  without   preliminary  or  sequence. 
In  reading  a  novel,  story,  or  poem,  we  do  not  begin  to 

*  feel  strongly  this  interest  till  two  or  three  chapters  are 
'    passed.     Then  it  begins  to  deepen,  the  plot  thickens, 
•   and  a  desire  springs  up  to  follow  out  the  fortune  of 

the  characters.  We  become  interested  in  the  persons, 
and  our  thoughts  are  busy  with  them  in  the  midst  of 
other  employments  or  in  leisure  moments.  The  per- 
sonality  of  the  hero  takes  hold  of  us  as  that  of  an 
intimate  friend.  Such  an  interest,  gradually  awakened 
and  deepened  as  we  move  into  the  comprehension  of 
a  work  of  art,  is  the  open  sesame  to  all  the  riches  of 
an  author's  storehouse  of  thought. 

This  kind  of  interest  presupposes  in  the  children 
the  ability  to  appreciate  and  enjoy  the  thought,  and 
even  the  style,  of  the  author.  Interest  in  this  sense 


44  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

is  a  fundamental  test  of  the  suitableness  of  the  story 
or  poem  to  lay  hold  of  the  inner  life  of  the  children. 
In  many  cases  there  will  be  difficulties  at  the  outset 
in  awakening  this  genuine  form  of  interest,  but 
if  the  selection  is  appropriate,  the  preparation 
and  skill  of  the  teacher  will  be  equal  to  its 
accomplishment. 

As  we  get  deeper  into  the  study  of  masterpieces, 
we  shall  discover  that  there  are  stronger  and  deepen- 
ing sources  of  a  genuine  interest.  Even  the  difficul- 
ties and  problems  which  are  supposed  to  dampen 
interest  will  be  found,  with  proper  study,  to  be  the 
source  of  a  stronger  appreciation  and  enthusiasm. 
The  refining  and  strengthening  of  these  interests  in  • 
literature  leads  on  steadily  to  the  final  goal  of  study, 
a  cultivated  taste  and  habit  of  using  the  best  books.  • 

2.   A  complete  work  of  a  master  writer  is  a  unit    \ 
of   thought.     It  is  almost  as   complete   a  whole   as    « 
a  living  organism.     Its  parts,  like  the  branches  of  a 
tree,  have  no  vitality  except  in  communication  with 
the  living  trunk.     In  the  "Vision  of  Sir  Launfal," 
there  is  a  single  thought,  like  a  golden  thread,  run- 
ning through  the  poem,  which  gives  unity  and  per- 
fection to  it.     The  separate  parts  of  the  poem  have  * 
very   great   intrinsic    beauty   and   charm,   but  their 
deeper   and    more   vital   relation   is    to   this   central  • 
thought.     The  story  of  "  The  Great  Stone  Face  "  is 
the  grouping  of  a  series  of  interesting  episodes  along 
the  path  of  a  single  developing  motive  in  the  life  of 


THE    USE    OF    MASTERPIECES    AS    WHOLES  45 

Ernest.  A  great  writer  would  scarcely  waste  his 
time  in  trying  to  produce  a  work  of  art  without  a 
controlling  motive,  collecting  his  thought,  as  it  were, 
around  a  vacuum.  This  hub-thought  must  become 
the  centre  of  all  intelligent  study.  The  effort  to 
unravel  the  motive  of  the  author  is  the  deeper  stim- 
ulus of  thoughtful  work  by  both  teacher  and  pupils. 

In  other  studies,  like  geography,  history,  and 
natural  science,  we  are  gradually  picking  out  the 
important  units  of  study,  the  centres  of  thought  and 
interest,  the  types.  This  effort  to  escape  from  the 
wilderness  of  jumbled  and  fractional  details  into  the 
sunlit  region  of  controlling  ideas,  is  a  substantial 
sign  of  progress  in  the  teacher's  work.  In  literature 
these  units  have  been  already  wrought  out  into  per- 
fect wholes  by  first-class  thinkers. 

In  the  greatest  of  all  studies,  the  works  of  the 
literary  masters,  we  have  the  surest  models  of  inspir- 
ing thought,  organized  and  focussed  upon  essential 
topics.  Teachers,  in  some  cases,  are  so  little  accus- 
tomed to  lift  their  heads  above  the  tall  grass  and 
weeds  around  them,  that  they  are  overtaken  by  sur- 
prise and  bewilderment  when  called  upon  to  take 
broad  and  liberal  surveys  of  the  topography  of 
school  studies. 

It  is  fortunate  that  we  have,  within  the  fenced 
boundaries  of  the  commonly  recognized  school 
course,  these  shining  specimens  of  organized,  and, 
what  we  might  call,  intelligent  thought. 


46  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

We  can  set  the  children  at  work  digging  for  the 
root-thoughts  of  those  who  are  the  masters  of  strong 
thinking.  This  digging  process  is  not  wholly  out 
of  place  with  children.  Their  abundant  energy  can 
be  turned  to  digging  if  there  is  anything  worth 
digging  for.  Ruskin,  in  "  Sesame  and  Lilies," 
says : — 

"And  it  is  just  the  same  with  men's  best  wisdom. 
When  you  come  to  a  good  book,  you  must  ask  your- 
self :  '  Am  I  inclined  to  work  as  an  Australian  miner 
would  ?  Are  my  pickaxes  and  shovels  in  good 
order,  and  am  I  in  good  trim  myself,  my  sleeves  well 
up  to  the  elbow,  and  my  breath  good,  and  my  tem- 
per ? '  And,  keeping  the  figure  a  little  longer,  even 
at  cost  of  tiresomeness,  for  it  is  a  thoroughly  useful 
one,  the  metal  you  are  in  search  of,  being  the 
author's  mind  or  meaning,  his  words  are  as  the  rock 
which  you  have  to  crush  and  smelt  in  order  to  get 
at  it.  And  your  pickaxes  are  your  own  care,  wit 
and  learning ;  your  smelting  furnace  is  your  own 
thoughtful  soul.  Do  not  hope  to  get  at  any  good 
author's  meaning  without  those  tools  and  that  fire ; 
often  you  will  need  sharpest,  finest  chiselling,  and 
patientest  fusing,  before  you  can  gather  one  grain 
of  the  metal." 

It  is  not  the  dreamy,  hammock-soothing,  vacation 
idling  with  pleasant  stories  that  we  are  now  consider- 
ing. This  happy  lotus-land  has  also  its  fitting  sea- 
son, in  the  sultry  heats  of  summer,  when  tired  people 


THE    USE   OF    MASTERPIECES    AS    WHOLES  47 

put  their  minds  out  to  grass.  Any  study  will  grow 
dull  and  sleepy  that  lacks  energy. 

Teachers  who  shrink  back  with  anxiety  lest  works 
such  as  Irving's  "  Sketch  Book,"  "  Evangeline," 
"Merchant  of  Venice,"  and  "  Marmion,"  are  too 
hard  for  children  in  sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth 
grades,  should  consider  for  a  moment  what  classical 
preparatory  schools  for  centuries  have  required  of 
boys  from  ten  to  twelve  years  of  age,  the  study  of 
"Caesar,"  "Eutropius,"  and  "Virgil,"  of  "Herod- 
otus" and  "Xenophon,"  in  unknown  languages  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  master.  Yet  it  has  been  claimed 
for  ages,  by  the  best  scholars,  that  this  was  the  true 
strength-producing  discipline  for  boys.  It  would 
hardly  be  extravagant  to  say  that  the  masterpieces 
of  literature  now  used,  in  our  intermediate  and  gram- 
mar grades,  are  not  a  quarter  so  difficult  and  four 
times  as  appropriate  and  interesting  as  the  Latin 
and  Greek  authors  just  cited.  It  seems  obvious  that 
we  are  summoned  to  a  more  energetic  study  and 
treatment  of  our  masterpieces. 

This  struggle  to  get  at  the  deeper  undercurrent 
of  thought  in  an  author  is  the  true  stimulus  and  dis- 
cipline of  such  studies. 

A  great  author  approaches  his  deeper  thought  step 
by  step.  He  has  many  side-lights,  variety  of  episode 
and  preliminary.  He  provides  for  the  proper  scenery 
and  setting  for  his  thought.  He  does  not  bring  us 
at  once,  point  blank,  upon  his  hero  or  upon  the 


48  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

hero's  fate.  There  is  great  variety  of  inference  and 
suggestion  in  the  preparation  and  grouping  of  the 
artist's  work.  As  in  climbing  some  mountain  peak, 
we  wind  through  canon,  along  rugged  hillsides  and 
spurs,  only  now  and  then  catching  a  glimpse  of  the 
towering  object  of  our  climb,  reaching,  after  many  a 
devious  and  toilsome  march,  the  rugged  backbone 
of  the  giant;  so  the  poet  carries  us  along  many  a 
winding  road,  through  byways  and  thickets,  over 
hill  and  plain,  before  he  brings  us  into  full  view  of 
the  main  object  of  search.  But  after  awhile  we  do 
stand  face  to  face  with  a  real  character,  and  are  con- 
scious of  the  framework  upon  which  it  is  built.  King 
Saul  has  run  his  course  and  is  about  to  reap  the 
reward  of  his  doings,  to  lie  down  in  the  bed  which 
he  has  prepared.  We  see  the  author's  deeper  plan, 
and  realize  that  his  characters  act  along  the  line  of 
the  silent  but  invincible  laws  of  social  life  and  con- 
duct. These  deep  significant  truths  of  human  expe- 
rience do  not  lie  upon  the  surface.  If  we  are  really 
to  get  a  deep  insight  into  human  character,  as  por- 
trayed by  the  masters,  we  must  not  be  in  haste.  We 
should  be  willing  to  follow  our  guide  patiently  and 
await  results. 

A  complete  masterpiece,  studied  as  a  whole,  reveals 
the  author's  power.  It  gives  some  adequate  percep- 
tion of  his  style  and  compass.  A  play,  a  poem,  a 
novel,  a  biography,  is  a  unit.  No  single  part  can 
give  a  satisfactory  idea  of  the  whole.  A  single  scene 


THE   USE   OF    MASTERPIECES   AS    WHOLES  49 

*  from  "  Crusoe  "  or  from  the  "  Merchant  of  Venice  " 
does  not  give  us  the  author's  meaning.  An  extract 
from  one  of  Burke's  speeches  supplies  no  adequate 
notion  of  his  statesmanlike  grasp  of  thought.  To 

%get  some  impression  of  what  Daniel  Webster  was  we 
must  read  a  whole  speech.  A  literary  product  is  like 
a  masterpiece  of  architecture.  The  whole  must  stand 
out  in  the  due  proportion  of  its  parts  to  reveal  the 
master's  thought. 

"  Walk  about  Zion,  and  go  round  about  her : 
Tell  the  towers  thereof. 

Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks,  consider  her  palaces ; 
That  ye  may  tell  it  to  the  generations  following." 

To  have  read  through  with  care  and  thoughtful 
appreciation  a  single  literary  masterpiece  and  to  have 
felt  the  full  measure  of  a  master's  power,  is  a  rare 
and  lasting  stroke  of  culture.  As  children  move  up 
through  the  grades  they  may  receive  the  strong  and 
abiding  impress  of  the  masters  of  style.  Let  it  come 
to  them  in  its  undiminished  strength.  To  feel  the 
powerful  tonic  effect  of  the  best  stories  and  poems 
suited  to  their  age  will  give  them  such  an  apprecia- 
tion of  what  is  genuine  and  good  in  literature,  that 
frivolous  and  trashy  reading  is  measured  at  its  true 
value. 

The  fragments  and  extracts  with  which  our  higher 
readers  are  filled  are  not  without  power  and  influence 
upon  culture.  They  have  given  many  children  their 
first  taste  of  the  beauty  and  strength  of  literature. 


SO  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

But   it   is   a   great   mistake   to   tear  these  gems   of  • 
thought  from  their  setting  in  literature  and  life,  and 
to  jam  them  into  the  close  and  crowded  quarters  of  a 
text-book.     Why  satisfy  ourselves  with  crumbs  and 
fragments  when  a  full  rich  feast  may  be  had  for  the  ^ 
asking  ? 

In  some  cases  it  is  said  that  the  reading  of  frag- 
ments of  large  poems  or  plays  has  excited  curiosity 
and  led  to  the  reading  of  the  larger  wholes.  This  is 
doubtless  true,  but  in  the  greater  number  of  cases 
we  are  inclined  to  think  the  habit  of  being  satisfied 
with  fragments  has  checked  the  formation  of  any 
appreciation  of  literary  wholes.  This  tendency  to 
be  satisfied  with  piecemeal  performances  illustrates 
painfully  the  shallowness  and  incoherency  of  much 
of  our  educational  work.  If  teachers  cannot  think 
beyond  a  broken  page  of  Shakespeare,  why  should 
children  burden  themselves  with  the  labor  of  thought  ? 
Charles  Kingsley,  in  his  essay  on  English  literature, 
says :  — 

"  But  I  must  plead  for  whole  works.  '  Extracts ' 
and  '  Select  Beauties '  are  about  as  practical  as  the 
worthy  in  the  old  story,  who,  wishing  to  sell  his  house, 
brought  one  of  the  bricks  to  market  as  a  specimen. 
It  is  equally  unfair  on  the  author  and  on  the  pupil ; 
for  it  is  impossible  to  show  the  merits  or  demerits 
of  a  work  of  art,  even  to  explain  the  truth  or  false- 
hood of  any  particular  passage,  except  by  viewing 
the  book  as  an  organic  whole." 


THE    USE    OF    MASTERPIECES    AS    WHOLES  51 

What  would  the  authors  themselves  say  upon  see- 
ing their  work  thus  mutilated  ?  There  is  even  a 
touch  of  the  farcical  in  the  effort  to  read  naturally 
and  forcibly  and  discuss  intelligently  a  fragment  like 
Antony's  speech  over  Caesar. 

3.  The  moral  effect  of  a  complete  masterpiece  is 
deeper  and  more  permanent.  Not  only  do  we  see  a 
person  acting  in  more  situations,  revealing  thus  his 
•motives  and  hidden  springs  of  action,  but  the  thread 
*  of  his  thought  and  life  is  unravelled  in  a  steady 
(  sequence.  Later  acts  are  seen  as  the  result  of  for- 
mer tendencies.  The  silent  reign  of  moral  law  in 
human  actions  is  discovered.  Slowly  but  surely  con- 
duct works  out  its  own  reward  along  the  line  of  these 
deeper  principles  of  action.  Even  in  the  books  read 
in  the  early  grades  these  profound  lessons  of  life 
come  out  clear  and  strong.  Robinson  Crusoe,  The- 
seus, Siegfried,  Hiawatha,  Beauty  and  the  Beast, 
Jason,  King  Arthur,  and  Ulysses  are  not  holiday 
guests.  They  are  face  to  face  with  the  serious 
problems  of  life.  Each  person  is  seen  in  the 
present  make-up  and  tendency  of  his  .character. 
When  the  eventual  wind-up  comes,  be  it  a  col- 
lapse or  an  ascension,  we  see  how  surely  and 
fatally  such  results  spring  from  such  motives  and 
tendencies.  Washington  is  found  to  be  the  first  in 
the  hearts  of  his  countrymen;  Arnold  is  execrated; 
King  'Lear  moves  on  blindly  to  the  reward  which 
his  own  folly  has  prearranged;  Macbeth  entangles 


52  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

himself  in  a  network  of  fatal  errors;  Adam  Bede 
emerges  from  the  bitter  ordeal  of  disappointment 
with  his  manly  qualities  subdued  but  stronger.  Give 
the  novelist  or  poet  time  and  opportunity,  and  he  is 
the  true  interpreter  of  conduct  and  destiny.  He 
reveals  in  real  and  yet  ideal  characters  the  working 
out  in  life  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  moral 
action. 

4.  A  classic  work  is  often  a  picture  of  an  age,  a< 
panoramic  survey  of  an  historical  epoch.  Scott's 
"  Marmion  "  is  such  a  graphic  and  dramatic  portrayal 
of  feudalism  in  Scotland.  The  castle  with  its  lord, 
attendants,  and  household,  the  steep  frowning  walls 
and  turrets,  the  moat,  drawbridge,  and  dungeon,  the 
chapel,  halls,  and  feastings,  the  knight  clad  in  armor, 
on  horseback  with  squire  and  troop,  —  these  are  the 
details  of  the  first  picture.  The  cloister  and  nuns, 
with  their  sequestered  habits  and  dress,  their  devotion 
and  masses,  supply  the  other  characteristic  picture  of 
that  age,  with  Rome  in  the  background.  The  court 
scene  and  ball  in  King  James's  palace,  before  the 
day  of  Flodden,  the  view  of  Scotland's  army  from 
the  mountain  side,  with  the  motley  hordes  from  high- 
land and  lowland  and  neighboring  isles,  and  lastly, 
the  battle  of  Flodden  itself,  where  wisdom  is  weighed 
and  valor  put  to  the  final  test,  —  all  these  are  but 
the  parts  of  a  well-adjusted  picture  of  life  in  feudal 
times  on  the  Scottish  border.  There  is  incidental 
to  the  narrative  much  vivid  description  of  Scotch 


THE    USE    OF    MASTERPIECES   AS   WHOLES  53 

scenery  and  geography,  of  mountain  or  valley,  of 
frowning  castle  or  rocky  coast,  much  of  Scotch  tra- 
dition, custom,  superstition,  and  clannishness.  The 
scenes  in  cloister  and  dungeon  and  on  the  battle- 
field are  more  intensely  real  than  historical  narratives 
can  be.  While  not  strict  history,  this  is  truer  than 
history  because  it  brings  us  closer  to  the  spirit  of 
that  time.  Marmion  and  Douglas  stand  out  more 
clear  and  lifelike  than  the  men  of  history. 

Although  feudalism  underwent  constant  changes 
and  modifications  in  every  country  of  Europe,  it  is 
still  true  that "  Marmion  "  is  a  type  of  feudal  conditions, 
not  only  in  Scotland,  but  in  other  parts  of  Europe, 
and  a  full  perception  of  Scott's  poem  will  make  one 
at  home  in  any  part  of  European  history  during 
feudal  times.  As  a  historical  picture  of  life,  it  is  a 
key  to  the  spirit  and  animating  ideas  that  swayed 
the  Western  nations  during  several  centuries.  It  is 
fiction,  not  history,  in  the  usual  sense,  and  yet  it  gives 
a  more  real  and  vivid  consciousness  of  the  forces  at 
work  in  that  age  than  history  proper. 

While  the  plot  of  the  story  covers  a  narrow  field, 
only  a  few  days  of  time  and  a  small  area  of  country, 
its  roots  go  deep  into  the  whole  social,  religious,  and 
political  fabric  of  that  time.  It  touches  real  history 
at  a  critical  point  in  the  relations  between  England 
and  Scotland.  It  is  stirred  also  by  the  spirit  of  the 
Scotch  bard  and  of  minstrelsy.  It  shows  what  a 
hold  Rome  had  in  those  days,  even  in  the  highlands  of 


54  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

Scotland.  It  is  full  of  Scotch  scenery  and  geography. 
It  rings  with  the  clarion  of  war  and  of  battle.  It 
reveals  the  contempt  in  which  letters  were  held 
even  by  the  most  powerful  nobles.  Oxen  are  de- 
scribed as  drawing  cannon  upon  the  field  of  Flodden, 
and  in  time  these  guns  broke  down  the  walls  of 
feudalism.  As  a  historical  picture  Marmion  is  many- 
sided,  and  the  roots  of  the  story  reach  out  through 
the  whole  fabric  of  society,  showing  how  all  the  parts 
cohere.  Such  a  piece  of  historical  literature  may 
serve  as  a  centre  around  which  to  gather  much  and 
varied  information  through  other  school  and  home 
readings.  Children  may  find  time  to  read  "Ivanhoe," 
"The  Crusades,"  "Roland,"  "Don  Quixote,"  "The 
Golden  Legend,"  "Macbeth,"  "  Goetz  von  Berlich- 
ingen,"  etc.  They  will  have  a  nucleus  upon  which 
to  gather  many  related  facts  and  ideas.  It  should 
also  be  brought  into  proper  connection  with  the 
regular  lessons  in  history  and  geography.  History 
reveals  itself  to  the  poet  in  these  wonderfully  vivid 
and  lifelike  types.  In  many  of  these  historical  poems, 
as  "William  Tell,"  "  Evangeline,"  "Crusoe,"  "The 
Nibelung  Song,"  "  Miles.  Standish,"  the  "Odyssey," 
"Sohrab  and  Rustum,"  some  hero  stands  in  the  centre 
of  the  narrative,  and  can  be  understood  as  a  repre- 
sentative figure  of  his  times  only  as  the  whole  series 
of  events  in  his  life  is  unrolled. 

Where    the   study  of    larger    literary  wholes    has 
been  taken  up  in  good  faith,  it  has  brought  a  rich 


THE    USE    OF    MASTERPIECES   AS    WHOLES  55 

blessing  of  intelligent  enthusiasm.  Even  in  primary 
schools,  where  literary  wholes  like  "  Hiawatha," 
"Robinson  Crusoe,"  and  the  "Golden  Touch"  are 
handled  with  a  view  to  exploit  their  whole  content, 
there  has  been  a  remarkable  enrichment  of  the  whole 
life  of  the  children.  Such  a  treatment  has  gone  so  • 
deep  into  the  problems  and  struggling  conditions  of 
life  delineated,  that  the  children  have  become  occu-  * 
pied  with  the  tent-making,  boat-building,  spinning, 
and  various  constructions  incident  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  story. 

5.  If  it  is  true,  as  clearly  expressed  by  strong  think- 
ers in  the  most  various  fields  of  deeper  investigation, 
that  many  of  the  chief  literary  products  that  have 
come  down  to  us  from  former  ages  are  the  only 
means  by  which  we  can  be  brought  into  vital  touch 
and  sympathy  with  the  spirit  and  motives  then  ruling 
among  men ;  if  it  is  equally  true  that  children  will 
not  grow  up  to  the  proper  appreciation  and  interpre- 
tation of  our  present  life,  except  as  they  have  experi- 
enced, in  thought  and  interest  at  least,  the  chief 
struggles  and  motives  of  our  fathers,  —  we  may  find 
in  these  historic  and  literary  materials  the  deep  and 
living  springs  of  true  education  for  children. 

The  thought  of  the  educative  power  of  this  ances- 
tral literature  has  been  forcibly  expressed  by  many 
eminent  writers. 

Scudder,  in  "  Literature  in  School,"  says  :  — 

"There  is   the    element    of    continuity.     In    the 


56  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

Roman  household  there  stood  the  cinerary  urns  which 
held  the  ashes  of  the  ancestors  of  the  family.  Do 
you  think  the  young  ever  forgot  the  unbroken  line  of 
descent  by  which  they  climbed  to  the  heroic  founders 
of  the  state?  In  the  Jewish  family  the  child  was 
.taught  to  think  and  speak  of  the  God  of  Abraham, 
and  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob.  In  that  great  succession 
'  he  heard  a  voice  which  told  him  his  nation  was  not 
of  a  day.  It  is  the  business  of  the  old  to  transmit 
to  the  young  the  great  traditions  of  the  past  of 
the  country;  to  feed  anew  the  undying  flame  of 
patriotism. 

"  It  is  this  concentration  in  poetry  and  the  more 
lofty  prose  which  gives  to  literary  art  its  precious- 
ness  as  a  symbol  of  human  endeavor,  and  renders  it 
the  one  essential  and  most  serviceable  means  for 
keeping  alive  the  smouldering  coals  of  patriotism. 
It  is  the  torch  passed  from  one  hand  to  another,  sig- 
naling hope  and  warning ;  and  the  one  place  above 
all  others  where  its  light  should  be  kindled  is  where 
the  young  meet  together,  in  those  American  temples 
which  the  people  have  built  in  every  town  and  village 
in  the  country." 

Mabie,  in  "Books  and  Culture"  (pp.  88,  89-113), 
says :  — 

"  Now,  it  is  upon  this  imperishable  food  which  the 
past  has  stored  up  through  the  genius  of  great  artists 
that  later  generations  feed  and  nourish  themselves. 
It  is  through  intimate  contact  with  these  fundamental 


THE    USE    OF    MASTERPIECES    AS    WHOLES  $/ 

conceptions,  worked  out  with  such  infinite  pain  and 
patience,  that  the  individual  experience  is  broadened 
to  include  tne  experience  of  the  race." 

"The  student  of  literature,  therefore,  finds  in  its 
noblest  works  not  only  the  ultimate  results  of  race 
experience  and  the  characteristic  quality  of  race 
genius,  but  the  highest  activity  of  the  greatest  minds 
in  their  happiest  and  most  expansive  moments.  In 
this  commingling  of  the  best  that  is  in  the  race  and 
the  best  that  is  in  the  individual,  lies  the  mystery  of 
that  double  revelation  which  makes  every  work  of  art 
a  disclosure,  not  only  of  the  nature  of  the  man 
behind  it,  but  of  all  men  behind  him.  In  this  com- 
mingling, too,  is  preserved  the  most  precious  deposit 
of  what  the  race  has  been  and  done,  and  of  what  the 
man  has  seen,  felt,  and  known.  In  the  nature  of 
things  no  educational  material  can  be  richer,  none  so 
fundamentally  expansive  and  illuminative." 
.  Emerson,  in  his  "  Essay  on  History,"  says:  — 

"  The  advancing  man  discovers  how  deep  a  prop- 
erty he  has  in  literature,  —  in  all  fable  as  well  as  in 
all  history.  He  finds  that  the  poet  was  no  odd  fellow 
who  described  strange  and  impossible  situations,  but 
that  universal  man  wrote  by  his  pen  a  confession  true 
for  one  and  true  for  all.  His  own  secret  biography 
he  finds  in  lines  wonderfully  intelligible  to  him,  dotted 
down  before  he  was  born.  One  after  another  he 
comes  up  in  his  private  adventures  with  every  fable 
of  JEsop,  of  Homer,  of  Hafiz,  of  Ariosto,  of  Chaucer, 


58  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

of  Scott,  and  verifies  them  with  his  own  head  and 
hands. 

"  The  beautiful  fables  of  the  Greeks,  being  proper 
creations  of  the  imagination  and  not  of  the  fancy,  are 
universal  verities.  What  a  range  of  meanings  and 
what  perpetual  pertinence  has  the  story  of  Prome- 
theus !  Besides  its  primary  value  as  the  first  chapter 
of  the  history  of  Europe  (the  mythology  thinly  veil- 
ing authentic  facts,  the  invention  of  the  mechanic 
arts  and  the  migration  of  colonies),  it  gives  the  his- 
tory of  religion  with  some  closeness  to  the  faith  of 
later  ages." 

"Thus  in  all  ways  does  the  soul  concentrate  and 
reproduce  its  treasures  for  each  pupil.  He,  too,  shall 
pass  through  the  whole  cycle  of  experience.  He 
shall  collect  into  a  focus  the  rays  of  nature.  History 
no  longer  shall  be  a  dull  book.  It  shall  walk  incar- 
nate in  every  just  and  wise  man.  You  shall  not  tell 
me  by  languages  and  titles  a  catalogue  of  the  vol- 
umes you  have  read.  You  shall  make  me  feel  what 
periods  you  have  lived.  A  man  shall  be  the  Temple 
of  Fame.  He  shall  walk,  as  the  poets  have  described 
that  goddess,  in'  a  robe  painted  all  over  with  wonder- 
ful events  and  experiences  ;  his  own  form  and  fea- 
tures by  their  exalted  intelligence  shall  be  that 
variegated  vest.  I  shall  find  in  him  the  Foreworld ; 
in  his  childhood  the  Age  of  Gold;  the  Apples  of 
Knowledge  ;  the  Argonautic  Expedition  ;  the  calling 
of  Abraham ;  the  building  of  the  Temple ;  the  Ad- 


THE   USE    OF   MASTERPIECES    AS    WHOLES  59 

vent  of  Christ ;  Dark  Ages ;  the  Revival  of  Letters ; 
the  Reformation ;  the  discovery  of  new  lands ;  the 
opening  t>f  new  sciences,  and  new  regions  in  man." 

6.  It  is  not  intended  to  limit  the  reading  of  the 
schools  to  the  longer  classics,  such  as  "  Snow-Bound," 
"  The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,"  and  Webster's  Bunker 
Hill  speech,  etc.     There  are  also  many  shorter  poems 
and  stories,  ballads,  and  myths,  that  are  equally  good 
and  stand  out   as   strong,    complete   expressions   of 
thought  such  as  Tennyson's  "  Brook,"  Longfellow's 

"Village  Blacksmith,"  Whittier's  "Barefoot  Boy," 
and  many  others.  These  shorter  pieces  should  be  in- 
terspersed among  the  longer,  and  freely  used  to  give 
greater  variety  and  zest  to  reading  exercises.  Many 
of  the  finest  literary  products  of  the  language  are 
found  in  these  shorter  poems  and  stories.  They  also 
should  be  studied  for  the  beauty  and  unity  of  thought 
contained  in  each. 

7.  But  the  sustained  power  gained  from  the  full  and 
rich  study  of  longer  classics  is  the  best  fruitage  of 
the   reading  work.      Every  term   of   school   should 
lead  the  children  into  the  full  appreciation  of  one 
or  more  of  these   masterly  works.      The  value   of 
such   study   is   well   expressed    by   Scudder   in    his 
"Literature  in  Schools"  (pp.  54-56):  — 

"The  real  point  of  practical  reform,  however,  is 
not  in  the  preference  of  American  authors  to  Eng- 
lish, but  in  the  careful  concentration  of  the  minds 
of  boys  and  girls  upon  standard  American  literature, 


6O  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

in  opposition  to  a  dissipation  over  a  desultory  and 
mechanical  acquaintance  with  scraps  from  a  variety 
of  sources,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent.  In  my  paper 
on  '  Nursery  Classics  in  School/  I  argued  that  there 
is  a  true  economy  in  substituting  the  great  books 
of  that  portion  of  the  world's  literature  which  repre- 
sents the  childhood  of  the  world's  mind  for  the  thin, 
quickly  forgotten,  feeble  imaginations  of  insignificant 
bookmakers.  There  is  an  equally  noble  economy 
in  engaging  the  child's  mind,  when  it  is  passing  out 
of  an  immature  state  into  one  of  rational,  intelligent 
appropriation  of  literature,  upon  such  carefully  chosen 
classic  work  as  shall  invigorate  and  deepen  it.  There 
is  plenty  of  vagrancy  in  reading ;  the  public  libraries 
and  cheap  papers  are  abundantly  able  to  satisfy  the 
truant:  but  it  ought  to  be  recognized  once  for  all 
that  the  schools  are  to  train  the  mind  into  appre- 
ciation of  literature,  not  to  amuse  it  with  idle  diver- 
sion ;  to  this  end,  the  simplest  and  most  direct  method 
is  to  place  before  boys  and  girls  for  their  regular 
task  in  reading,  not  scraps  from  this  and  that  author, 
duly  paragraphed  and  numbered,  but  a  wisely  selected 
series  of  works  by  men  whom  their  country  honors, 
and  who  have  made  their  country  worth  living  in. 
"  The  continuous  reading  of  a  classic  is  in  itself  a 
liberal  education ;  the  fragmentary  reading  of  common- 
place lessons  in  minor  morals,  such  as  make  up  much 
of  our  reading-books,  is  a  pitiful  waste  of  growing 
mental  powers.  Even  were  our  reading-books  com- 


THE    USE   OF    MASTERPIECES    AS    WHOLES  6 1 

posed  of  choice  selections  from  the  highest  literature, 
they  would  still  miss  the  very  great  advantage  which 
follows  upon  the  steady  growth  of  acquaintance 
with  a  sustained  piece  of  literary  art.  I  do  not 
insist,  of  course,  that  'Evangeline'  should  be  read  at 
one  session  of  the  school,  though  it  would  be  exceed- 
ingly helpful  in  training  the  powers  of  the  mind  if, 
after  this  poem  had  been  read  day  by  day  for  a  few 
weeks,  it  were  to  be  taken  up  first  in  its  separate 
thirds,  and  then  in  an  entire  reading.  What  I  claim 
is  that  the  boy  or  girl  who  has  read  *  Evangeline ' 
through  steadily  has  acquired  a  certain  power  in 
appropriating  literature  which  is  not  to  be  had  by 
reading  a  collection  of  minor  poems,  —  the  power 
of  long-sustained  attention  and  interest." 

8.  The  study  of  literary  wholes,  whether  longer  or 
shorter,  in  the  common  school  is  based  upon  the 
notion  that  the  full,  rich  thought  of  the  author  is 
the  absorbing  purpose  of  our  effort.  Literature  is 
a  reservoir  of  mental  refinement  and  riches,  for  the 
gaining  of  which  we  can  afford  to  sacrifice  many 
things  and  make  many  even  good  things  subordi- 
nate. The  words  of  the  wise  man  in  recommending 
wisdom  to  the  sons  of  men  are  not  inappropriate : 
"  Hear ;  for  I  will  speak  of  excellent  things  and  the 
opening  of  my  lips  shall  be  right  things,  and  wicked- 
ness is  an  abomination  to  my  lips.  Receive  my 
instruction  and  not  silver;  and  knowledge  rather 
than  choice  gold.  For  wisdom  is  better  than  rubies ; 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY 


62  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

and  all  the  things  that  may  be  desired  are  not  to  be 
compared  to  it." 

To  get  at  the  wisdom  of  the  best  thinkers  of  the 
world,  so  far  as  it  is  accessible  to  children,  is  the 
straightforward  aim  of  such  study.  The  teachers  of 
reading,  if  they  but  realized  it,  are  the  guardians 
of  a  temple  more  beautiful  than  the  Parthenon  in 
the  days  of  Pericles,  more  impressive  than  the  sacred 
towers  and  porticos  at  Jerusalem ;  they  are  the  cus- 
todians of  a  treasure  far  more  rich  and  lasting  than 
that  in  any  palace  of  a  king.  Such  comparisons, 
indeed,  are  almost  belittling  to  the  dignity  of  our 
subject.  How  noble  and  vast  is  the  temple  of 
literature !  What  single  mind  can  grasp  its  propor- 
tions or  the  boundless  beauty  of  its  decorations? 
Moreover,  it  is  a  living  temple,  ever  springing  up 
afresh,  in  all  its  pristine  strength  and  beauty,  where- 
ever  minds  are  found  reverent,  studious,  and  thought- 
ful. 

9.  The  old  proverb  suggests  that  we  "  beware  of 
the  man  of  one  book,"  and  is  significant  of  a  strong 
practical  truth.  Our  modern  life  demands  a  some- 
what broader  basis  of  operations  than  one  book  can 
furnish.  But  a  few  of  the  great  books,  well  mastered, 
give  the  main  elements  of  strength. 

Mabie  has  a  short  chapter  on  the  "  Books  of  Life  " 
which  "  include  the  original,  creative,  first-hand  books 
in  all  literatures,  and  constitute  in  the  last  analysis 
a  comparatively  small  group,  with  which  any  student 


THE    USE   OF    MASTERPIECES   AS    WHOLES  63 

can  thoroughly  familiarize  himself.  The  literary 
impulse  of  the  race  has  expressed  itself  in  a  great 
variety  of  works  of  varying  charm  and  power,  but 
the  books  which  are  fountain-heads  of  vitality,  ideas, 
and  beauty  are  few  in  number." 

The  effect  upon  the  teacher  of  the  study  of  a  few 
of  the  "  Books  of  Life "  is  deserving  of  emphasis. 
First,  by  limiting  the  choice  to  a  few  things,  teachers 
are  able,  without  burdening  themselves,  to  penetrate 
into  the  deeper  thought  and  meaning  of  standard 
works  which  are  good  specimens  and  criteria  of  all 
superior  literature.  Teachers  are  enabled  thus  to 
become,  in  a  limited  way,  real  students  of  literature. 
It  has  been  observed,  not  seldom,  that  teachers  of 
usual  capacity,  when  turned  into  a  single  rich  field 
like  that  of  "  Hiawatha  "  or  the  "  Merchant  of  Venice  " 
or  "  The  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome  "  or  the  "  Lady  of  the 
Lake,"  receive  an  awakening  which  means  much  for 
their  general  culture  and  teaching  power.  The  scat- 
tering of  the  attention  over  miscellaneous  selections 
and  fragments  can  hardly  produce  this  awakening. 

Certain  difficulties  are  incident  to  the  reading  of 
longer  works  as  wholes  which  it  is  well  to  recognize. 

i.  There  is  no  such  nice  grading  of  verbal  and 
language  difficulties  as  has  been  wrought  out  in 
some  of  the  standard  readers.  On  this  point 
Scudder  says  (p.  41  of  "Literature  in  Schools"):  — 

"  The  drawback  to  the  use  of  these  nursery  clas- 
sics in  the  schoolroom  undoubtedly  has  been  in  the 


64  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

absence  of  versions  which  are  intelligible  to  children 
of  the  proper  age,  reading  by  themselves.  The 
makers  of  the  graded  reading-books  have  expended 
all  their  ingenuity  in  grading  the  ascent.  They  have 
been  so  concerned  about  the  gradual  enlargement  of 
their  vocabularies  that  they  have  paid  slight  atten- 
tion to  the  ideas  which  the  words  were  intended  to 
convey.  But  just  this  gradation  may  be  secured 
through  the  use  of  these  stories,  and  it  only  needs 
that  they  should  be  written  out  in  a  form  as  simple, 
especially  as  regards  the  order  of  words,  as  that 
which  obtains  in  the  reading-books  of  equivalent 
grade." 

But  in  the  longer  classics  for  more  advanced 
grades  there  can  be  no  such  adaptation,  and  the 
author's  form  should  be  retained.  The  authors  of 
"Rip  Van  Winkle"  or  "Snow-Bound"  or  "  Hora- 
tius  at  the  Bridge  "  were  not  trying  to  phrase  their 
thought  to  meet  the  needs  of  children,  but  wrote  as 
the  spirit  moved  them.  The  greater  vigor  and  inten- 
sity of  the  author's  style  will  make  up,  however,  in 
large  part,  for  this  defect  in  easy  grading.  Children 
are  not  so  much  afraid  of  big  or  new  words,  if  there 
is  attractiveness  and  power  of  thought.  The  larger 
richness  and  variety  of  language  in  a  fruitful  author 
is  a  positive  advantage  as  compared  with  the  leanness 
and  dulness  of  many  a  smoothly  graded  reading  lesson. 

2.  It  is  claimed  that  there  is,  in  some  masterpieces, 
like  "  Evangeline  "  or  one  of  Webster's  speeches,  a 


THE   USE   OF    MASTERPIECES    AS    WHOLES  65 

monotony  and  tiresome  sameness  which  grows  bur- 
densome to  pupils  ere  the  conclusion  is  reached.  At 
least  there  is  much  less  variety  in  style  and  thought 
than  in  an  equal  number  of  pages  in  the  usual  reader. 

In  some  cases  there  is  good  ground  for  this  criti- 
cism. It  may  be  a  defect  in  the  writer's  style,  or  in 
not  finding  a  suitable  selection  for  the  class.  In 
some  cases  it  is  due  to  lack  of  power  in  the  teacher 
to  bring  the  children  properly  into  close  contact  with 
the  author's  thought. 

But  dulness  and  apathy  are  often  found  in  reading 
short  selections  as  well  as  in  longer  ones.  Generally 
speaking,  longer  pieces  are  apt  to  kindle  a  deeper 
and  stronger  interest.  Many  of  the  longer  selections 
have  also  great  variety  of  rhetorical  style.  Dickens' s 
"Christmas  Carol"  is  employed  in  one  of  the  drill 
books  in  reading  to  illustrate  all  phases  of  voice  and 
tone. 

3.  It  is  not  an  unusual  experience  to  find  that  a 
longer  story  or  poem  seems  too  hard  for  a  class,  and 
it  may  be  impossible  to  interest  them  because  of 
verbal  or  thought  difficulties.  But  the  teacher  should 
not  give  up  the  struggle  at  once.  Often,  in  a  new 
author,  difficulties  that  seem  at  first  insurmountable 
give  way  before  vigorous  effort,  and  a  lively  interest 
is  awakened.  This  has  been  noticed  in  Macaulay's 
"  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome,"  in  Irving's  "  Rip  Van 
Winkle,"  in  Scott's  "Lady  of  the  Lake,"  also  in 
Webster's  "Speech  in  reply  to  Hayne."  The  teacher 


66  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

should  not  depend  wholly  upon  the  author's  making 
himself  intelligible  and  interesting  to  the  children. 
His  own  enthusiasm,  clear  grasp  of  thought,  suggest- 
ive assignment  of  lesson,  and  skill  in  comment  and 
question  should  awaken  insight  and  attention.  It  is 
advisable  at  times  to  pass  by  specially  difficult  pas- 
sages, or  leave  them  for  later  special  study. 

4.  In  some  schools  it  is  not  possible   to   secure 
books  containing  the  complete  classics.     But  even 
the  regular  readers  often  contain   complete   poems 
and  stories,  and  several  of  the  large  companies  are 
publishing   many  of   the   complete   masterpieces   in 
good   print   and   binding,   no   more   expensive   than 
the  regular  readers. 

5.  The  greatest  difficulty,  after  all,  is  the  lack  of 
experience  of  many  teachers  with  the  longer  classics. 
In  many  cases  their  inability  to  select  what  would 
suit  their  classes  is  a  hindrance.     But  the  experience 
of  many  teachers  with  these  materials  is  rapidly  set- 
tling the  question  as  to  the  place  and  importance  of 
the  leading  masterpieces  as  well  as  of  many  shorter 
selections. 


CHAPTER   III 

LITERARY   MATERIALS   FOR    THE    FIVE    UPPER   GRADES 

THERE  is  great  abundance  and  variety  of  choice 
reading  matter  suitable  for  the  grades  from  the  fourth 
to  the  eighth  inclusive.  The  best  sets  of  reading- 
books  have  drawn  from  this  rich  material,  but  no 
series  of  readers  can  compass  adequately  the  field. 
Some  of  the  longer  classical  stories  and  poems  have 
been  incorporated  into  readers,  but  a  single  set  of 
readers  cannot  be  made  large  enough  to  contain  a 
quarter  of  the  valuable  reading  matter  which  should  be 
furnished  in  these  grades.  The  large  publishing  houses 
now  supply,  at  moderate  expense,  in  small  and  con- 
venient book  form,  a  great  variety  of  the  very  best 
complete  masterpieces.  In  order  to  show  more  clearly 
the  richness  and  variety  of  this  material,  we  will  dis- 
cuss briefly  the  principal  kinds  of  reading  matter  which 
are  distributed  through  these  five  grades.  We  assume 
that  during  the  first  three  years  of  school  life  chil- 
dren have  learned  how  to  read,  having  mastered  the 
forms  and  symbols  of  printed  language.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  fourth  grade,  therefore,  they  are 
prepared  to  read  some  of  those  choice  literary  prod- 
ucts which  constitute  a  part  of  the  permanent  lit- 

67 


68  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

erature  of  the  world.  After  having  collected  and 
arranged  these  products,  we  find  that  they  fall  into 
several  distinctly  marked  classes. 

I.   The  Myths. 

%  These  include  such  stories  as  Hawthorne's  "  Won- 
der Book  "  and  "  Tanglewood  Tales,"  Peabody's  "  Old 
Greek  Folk  Stories,"  Kingsley's  "Greek  Heroes," 
"The  Story  of  Ulysses,"  Bryant's  translation  of 
the  "  Iliad  "  and  "  Odyssey,"  Pope's  "  Homer,"  and 
many  other  prose  and  poetic  renderings  of  the  Greek 
myths. 

Another  group  of  myths  include  Mabie's  "Norse 
Stories,"  "  Heroes  of  Asgard,  "  Siegfried,"  "  Myths 
of  Northern  Lands,"  Skinner's  "  Readings  in  Folk 
Lore,"  and  many  forms  of  the  Norse  myths.  The 
story  of  "  Hiawatha "  belongs  also  to  this  group, 
while  some  of  the  earlier  English  and  Roman  myths 
belong  to  the  same  class. 

The  choicest  of  these  mythical  stories  are  dis- 
tributed as  reading  matter  through  the  fourth  and 
fifth  grades.  They  constitute  a  large  share  of  the 
most  famous  literature  of  the  great  civilized  nations. 
It  is  worth  while  to  name  over  the  virtues  of  these 
stories  and  poems. 

They  have  sprung  directly  out  of  the  people's 
life,  they  are  race  products,  worked  over  from  age 
to  age  by  poetic  spirits,  and  finally  gathered  into 
enduring  form  by  a  Homer,  Virgil,  or  Spenser. 
The  best  of  our  later  poets  and  prose  masters  have 


LITERARY   MATERIALS  69 

employed  their  finest  skill  in  rendering  them  into 
simple  and  poetic  English,  as  Bryant,  Kingsley, 
Longfellow,  Pope,  Hawthorne,  Palmer,  Tennyson, 
Church,  and  many  more. 

They  are  the  best  descriptions  we  have  of  the 
customs,  ideas,  and  dress,  the  homes,  habits,  and  mo- 
tives, of  the  ancestral  races.  Many  other  sources, 
as  temples,  ruins,  tombs,  coins,  etc.,  help  to  explain 
this  early  history;  but  this  literature  calls  it  again 
into  life  and  puts  meaning  into  all  other  sources  of 
knowledge. 

The  influence  which  this  early  literature  has  had 
upon  later  historical  growth  of  the  great  races  is 
overwhelming,  and  is  plain  to  the  eyes  of  even  un- 
scholarly  persons.  The  root  from  which  the  marvel- 
lous tree  of  Greek  civilization  grew  is  seen  in  Homer's 
poems. 

In  these  myths  we  find  those  commanding  char- 
acters which  typify  the  strength  and  virtues  of  the 
race,  as  Achilles,  Ulysses,  Siegfried,  Penelope,  Thor, 
Apollo,  Theseus,  Hiawatha,  Orpheus,  Diana,  Vulcan, 
Prometheus,  and  the  Muses. 

A  close  acquaintance  with  these  creative  ideas  of 
the  early  world  is  necessary  to  an  understanding 
of  all  subsequent  life  and  literature.  And  it  is  not 
merely  the  names  of  Greek  divinities  and  definitions 
of  their  character  and  qualities  which  put  meaning 
into  the  numberless  allusions  of  modern  writers.  One 
reason  why  many  modern  thinkers  smile  at  the  trite- 


7O  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

ness  and  childishness  of  Greek  fable  is,  that  they 
have  not  caught  the  spirit  and  meaning  of  the  Greek 
story.  The  great  masters  of  thought,  like  Goethe, 
Shakespeare,  Emerson,  Tennyson,  and  Bryant,  have 
seen  deeper. 

It  is,  moreover,  in  childhood,  during  the  early  school 
years  especially,  that  we  may  best  appreciate  and 
enjoy  these  poetic  creations  of  an  early  world.  It  is 
hardly  to  be  expected  that  people  whose  youth  has 
been  clamped  into  the  mould  of  commonplace  and 
sensuous  facts,  and  whose  later  years  have  been 
crusted  over  with  modern  materialism  and  commer- 
cialism, should  listen  with  any  patience  to  Orpheus 
and  the  Muses,  or  even  to  the  wood  notes  of  Pan. 

We  hardly  need  to  dwell  upon  the  idea  that  the 
old  heroic  myths  are  the  delight  of  boys  and  girls, 
and  that  this  sympathy  for  the  myth  is  the  founda- 
tion of  its  educative  power.  Nor  is  it  the  purpose  of 
the  school  to  warp  the  minds  of  children  into  this  one 
channel  of  growth.  The  historical  and  scientific 
studies  run  parallel  with  the  myth,  and  give  strength 
for  realities. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  see  that  music,  the  drama,  and 
the  fine  arts  spring  from  these  old  myths  as  from 
their  chief  source.  They  furnish  motive  to  many  of 
the  greatest  works  of  dramatist,  composer,  painter, 
and  sculptor,  in  all  the  ages  since.  yEschylus  and 
the  Greek  dramatists,  Goethe  and  Wagner,  Fenelon 
and  Shakespeare,  drew  abundantly  from  these  sources. 


LITERARY   MATERIALS  71 

A  few  of  the  striking  characters  of  this  great  age 
of  heroic  myths  should  be  treated  with  such  fulness 
as  to  stand  out  clearly  to  the  children  and  appeal  to 
the  heart  as  well  as  to  the  head.  Ulysses  and  Sieg- 
fried stand  in  the  centre  of  two  of  the  chief  stories, 
and  exemplify  great  qualities  of  character,  strength, 
wisdom,  and  nobleness  of  mind. 

In  the  third  grade  the  children  have  had  an  oral 
introduction  to  some  of  the  old  stories,  and  have  had 
a  spirited  entrance  to  Myth  land.  This  oral  treat- 
ment of  the  stories  is  a  fitting  and  necessary  prelude 
to  the  reading  work  of  the  fourth  and  fifth  grades. 
It  is  more  fully  discussed,  together  with  the  art  of 
the  story-teller,  in  "The  Special  Method  in  Primary 
Reading  and  Story." 

Closely  related  to  the  myths,  and  kindred  in  spirit, 
are  such  choice  reading  materials  as  "The  Arabian 
Nights,"  "King  of  the  Golden  River,"  Stockton's 
"  Fanciful  Tales,"  "  The  Pied  Piper,"  and  a  number 
of  shorter  poems  and  stories  found  in  the  collections 
recommended  for  fourth  and  fifth  grades.  Some  of 
Hawthorne's  and  Irving's  stories  belong  also  to  this 
group. 

2.    Ballads  and  Traditional  Stories. 

A  somewhat  distinct  group  of  the  best  reading  for 
fourth  and  fifth  grades  is  found  in  the  historical 
ballads  and  national  legends  from  the  early  history 
of  England,  Germany,  Italy,  and  France.  They  in- 
clude such  selections  as  "Sir  Patrick  Spens,"  "The 


72  SPECIAL   METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

Ballads  of  Robin  Hood,"  "Horatius,"  "Bannock- 
burn,"  "The  Heart  of  the  Bruce,"  "The  Story  of 
Regulus,"  of  "  Cincinnatus,"  "Alfred  the  Harper," 
and  many  more.  In  the  list  of  books  recommended 
for  children's  reading  are  several  ballad  books, 
Macaulay's  "  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome,"  "  The  Book  of 
Golden  Deeds,"  "Tales  from  English  History,"  and 
several  others,  with  great  variety  of  poem  and  story. 
Many  of  these  selections  are  short  and  spirited  and 
well  suited  to  awaken  the  strongest  enthusiasm  of 
children.  They  are  sometimes  in  dialogue  form, 
both  in  prose  and  verse,  have  strong  dramatic 
action,  and  are  thus  helpful  in  variety  and  force  of 
expression.  There  is  also  much  early  history  and 
national  spirit  involved.  The  old  historical  ballads 
and  traditions  have  great  educative  value.  They  are 
simple,  crude,  and  powerful,  and  awaken  the  spirit  to 
receive  the  message  of  heroism.  In  her  introduction 
to  the  "Ballad  Book,"  Katharine  Lee  Bates  says, 
"  For  these  primitive  folk-songs,  which  have  done 
so  much  to  educate  the  poetic  sense  in  the  fine 
peasantry  of  Scotland  —  that  peasantry  which  has 
produced  an  Ayreshire  , Ploughman  and  an  Ettric 
Shepherd  —  are  assuredly, 

" ( Thanks  to  the  human  heart  by  which  it  lives,' 

among  the  best  educators  that  can  be  brought  into 
our  schoolrooms." 

"  The  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome,"  the  "  Ballads,"  and 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  73 

the  "Tales  from  English  History"  belong  to  the 
heroic  series.  Though  far  separated  in  time  and 
place,  they  breathe  the  same  spirit  of  personal  energy, 
self-sacrifice,  and  love  of  country.  They  reveal 
manly  resistance  to  cruelty  and  tyranny.  We  may 
begin  this  series  with  a  term's  work  upon  Macaulay's 
"  Lays  "  and  a  few  other  choice  stories  in  prose  and 
verse.  Thereafter  we  may  insert  other  ballads, 
where  needed,  in  connection  with  history,  and  in 
amplification  of  longer  stories  or  masterpieces  like 
Scott's  "Tales  of  a  Grandfather,"  and  "  Marmion." 
In  the  fifth  grade,  children  are  of  an  age  when  these 
stories  of  heroism  in  olden  days  strike  a  responsive 
chord.  They  delight  in  such  tales,  memorize  them, 
and  enter  into  the  full  energy  of  their  spirited  re- 
production. The  main  purpose  at  first  is  to  appre- 
ciate their  thought  as  an  expression  of  history, 
tradition,  and  national  life.  A  complete  and  absorb- 
ing study  of  a  single  series  of  these  ballads,  as  of 
Macaulay's,  supplies  also  an  excellent  standard  of 
comparison  for  other  more  or  less  similar  episodes 
in  the  history  of  Switzerland,  Greece,  England,  and 
America. 

These  historical  legends  merge  almost  imper- 
ceptibly into  the  historical  tales  of  early  English, 
Roman,  and  French  or  German  history.  The  patri- 
archal stories  of  the  Old  Testament  furnish  the 
finest  of  early  history  stories  and  should  be  included 
in  these  materials.  "The  Old  Stories  of  the  East," 


74  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

and  "  Old  Testament  Stories  in  Scripture  Language  " 
are  among  the  best. 

3.  Stories  of  Chivalry. 

Tales  of  chivalry,  beginning  with  "  Arthur  and  his 
Round  Table  Knights,"  "Roland  and  Oliver,"  and 
other  mediaeval  tales,  have  a  great  attraction  for  poets 
and  children.  Such  books  are  included  in  our  lists  as 
"  The  Court  of  King  Arthur,"  the  "  Story  of  Roland," 
"  Tales  of  Chivalry,"  "  The  Boys'  King  Arthur,"  the 
"  Age  of  Chivalry,"  and  "  The  Coming  of  Arthur  "  and 
"  Passing  of  Arthur."  There  are  also  many  shorter 
poems  touching  this  spirit  of  chivalry  in  the  Ballad 
literature.  The  character  and  spirit  of  King  Arthur 
as  revealed  in  the  matchless  music  of  Tennyson 
should  find  its  way  to  the  hearts  of  children  before 
they  leave  the  school.  Like  Sir  Galahad,  he  could 

say, 

"  My  strength  is  as  the  strength  of  ten 
Because  my  heart  is  pure." 

4.  Historical  Stories  and  Poems. 

In  the  fifth  and  sixth  grades  children  should  begin 
to  read  some  of  the  best  biographical  and  historical 
stories  of  America  and  of  European  countries.  Of 
these  we  have  excellent  materials  from  many  lands 
and  periods  of  time,  such  as  Higginson's  "  American 
Explorers,"  Morris's  "  Historical  Tales  "  (both  Ameri- 
can and  English),  "Stories  of  American  Life  and 
Adventure,"  "  Stories  of  Our  Country,"  "  Pioneer  His- 
tory Stories,"  "Ten  Boys  on  the  Road  from  Long 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  75 

Ago,"  "The 'Story  of  the  English,"  "Stories  from 
Herodotus,"  "Pilgrims  and  Puritans,"  Hawthorne's 
"  Biographical  Stories,"  "  Stories  from  American 
Life,"  and  others. 

In  the  oral  history  lessons  given  on  alternate  days 
in  fourth  grade  (see  special  method  in  history)  we 
have  made  a  spirited  entrance  to  American  history 
through  the  pioneer  stories  of  the  Mississippi  Valley. 
These  should  precede  and  pave  the  way  for  classic 
readings  in  American  history.  In  the  fifth  grade, 
the  stories  of  Columbus  and  of  the  chief  navigators, 
also  the  narratives  of  the  Atlantic  coast  pioneers,  are 
told.  The  regular  history  work  of  the  sixth  grade 
should  be  a  study  of  the  growth  of  the  leading 
colonies  during  the  colonial  period  and  the  French 
and  Indian  Wars. 

In  the  fifth  grade  we  may  begin  to  read  some  of 
the  hero  narratives  of  our  own  pioneer  epoch  as 
rendered  by  the  best  writers ;  for  instance,  Higgin- 
son's  "  American  Explorers,"  "  Pilgrims  and  Puri- 
tans," "  Stories  of  Our  Country,"  and  "  Grandfather's 
Chair."  They  are  lifelike  and  spirited,  and  intro- 
duce us  to  the  realism  of  our  early  history  in  its 
rugged  exposure  and  trials,  while  they  bring  out  those 
stern  but  high  ideals  of  life  which  the  Puritan  and 
the  Cavalier,  the  navigator,  the  pioneer  hunter,  and 
explorer  illustrate.  Higginson's  collection  of  letters 
and  reports  of  the  early  explorers,  with  their  quaint 
language  and  eye-witness  descriptions,  is  strikingly 


76  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

vivid  in  its  portraiture  of  early  scenes  upon  our 
shores.  Hawthorne,  in  "Grandfather's  Chair,"  has 
moulded  the  hardy  biography  of  New  England  leaders 
into  literary  form. 

5.    Great  Biographies. 

In  addition  to  the  shorter  biographical  stories  just 
mentioned,  as  children  advance  into  the  sixth,  seventh, 
and  eighth  grades,  they  should  make  a  close  acquain- 
tance with  a  few  of  the  great  biographies.  There  is 
an  abundance  of  excellent  American  biographies,  but 
we  should  limit  ourselves  to  those  most  important 
and  best  suited  to  influence  the  character  of  young 
people.  It  is  necessary  also  to  use  those  which  have 
been  written  in  a  style  easily  comprehended  by  the 
children.  Some  of  the  best  are  as  follows  :  Scudder's 
"  Life  of  Washington,"  Franklin's  "  Autobiography," 
Hosmer's  "  Life  of  Samuel  Adams,"  and  the  lives 
of  John  Quincy  Adams,  Daniel  Webster,  and  Lin- 
coln in  the  "  Statesman  Series."  There  are  two 
fairly  good  books  of  Lincoln's  early  life  for  children. 
There  are  also  many  shorter  biographies  included 
in  the  books  recommended  for  regular  or  collateral 
reading. 

In  style  and  content  the  story  of  Franklin  is 
one  of  the  best  for  children.  The  "Autobiog- 
raphy "  of  Franklin  has  many  graphic  touches 
from  American  life.  His  intense  practical  per- 
sonality, his  many-sidedness  and  public  spirit,  make 
up  a  character  that  will  long  instruct  and  open 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  77 

out  in  many  directions  the  minds  of  the  young. 
His  clear  sense  and  wisdom  in  small  affairs  as  in 
great,  and  the  pleasing  style  of  his  narrative,  are 
sufficiently  characteristic  to  have  a  strong  personal 
impression.  It  will  hardly  be  necessary  to  take  the 
whole  of  the  "  Autobiography,"  but  the  more  attrac- 
tive parts,  leaving  the  rest  to  the  private  reading  of 
children.  "  Poor  Richard's  Almanac  "  intensifies  the 
notion  of  Franklin's  practical  and  everyday  wisdom, 
and  at  the  same  time  introduces  the  children  to  a 
form  of  literature  that,  in  colonial  days,  under 
Franklin's  patronage,  had  a  wide  acceptance  and 
lasting  influence  in  America. 

Plutarch's  "  Lives  "  furnish  a  series  of  great  bi- 
ographies which  grammar  school  children  should 
become  well  acquainted  with.  The  lives  of  Ameri- 
can writers  and  poets  should  be  brought  to  the  atten- 
tion of  children  in  conjunction  with  their  productions. 
"The  Children's  Stories  of  American  Literature" 
and  the  introductory  chapters  of  many  of  the  master- 
pieces furnish  this  interesting  and  stimulating 
material.  It  should  not  be  neglected  by  pupils  and 
teachers.  For  older  pupils  and  for  teachers  several 
of  Macaulay's  "  Essays  "  are  valuable,  and  the  style 
is  strikingly  interesting.  For  example,  the  essays  on 
Samuel  Johnson,  Lord  Chatham,  Milton,  Addison, 
and  Frederick  the  Great.  Motley's  "  Essay  on  Peter 
the  Great"  and  Carlyle's  "Essay  on  Burns"  are  of 
similar  interest  and  value.  "  The  Schonberg  Cotta 


78  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

Family"  is  valuable  in  the  upper  grammar  grades. 
Most  of  this  kind  of  reading  must  be  outside  refer- 
ence work  if  it  is  done  at  all.  Teachers  should,  first 
of  all,  enrich  their  own  experience  by  these  read- 
ings, occasionally  bring  a  book  to  the  class  from 
which  selections  may  be  read,  and,  secondly,  encour- 
age the  more  enthusiastic  and  capable  children  to 
this  wider  field  of  reading. 

6.  Historical  Poems  and  Pictures  of  American 
Life. 

Some  of  the  best  American  poems  and  prose 
masterpieces  are  fine  descriptions  of  American  life 
and  manners,  in  different  parts  of  the  country  and 
at  various  times.  Such  are:  "Courtship  of  Miles 
Standish,"  "Tales  of  the  White  Hills,"  "Snow- 
Bound,"  "Rip  Van  Winkle,"  and  "Sleepy  Hollow." 
"The  Gentle  Boy,"  "Mabel  Martin,"  "Giles  Corey," 
" Evangeline,"  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  and  some  of 
the  great  biographies,  like  those  of  Samuel  Adams, 
Franklin,  Washington,  and  Lincoln,  are  also  fine 
descriptions  of  home  life  in  America.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  some  of  the  masterpieces  of  English 
and  European  literature,  for  example,  "  Ivanhoe," 
"Roger  de  Coverley,"  "The  Christmas  Carol," 
"Vicar  of  Wakefield,"  "William  Tell,"  "Silas  Mar- 
ner,"  "The  Cotter's  Saturday  Night,"  and  "  Schon- 
berg  Cotta  Family." 

The  culture  value  of  these  pictures  of  home  and 
domestic  life  for  young  people  is  surpassingly  great. 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  79 

Gradually  their  views  are  broadened,  and  they  may 
be  imbued  with  those  social,  home-bred  qualities  and 
virtues  so  fundamental  in  human  life. 

Irving' s  stories  and  Longfellow's  "  Miles  Stan- 
dish  "  give  a  still  more  pronounced  and  pleasing 
literary  cast  to  two  of  the  characteristic  forms  of 
life  in  our  colonial  history,  the  Puritan  and  the 
Dutch  Patroon.  If  the  children  have  reached  this 
point,  where  they  can  read  and  enjoy  the  "  Sketch- 
Book,"  it  will  be  worth  much  as  a  description  of  life 
along  the  Hudson,  and  will  develop  taste  and  appre- 
ciation for  literary  excellence.  Even  the  fanciful 
and  ridiculous  elements  conduce  to  mental  health 
and  soundness,  by  showing  up  in  pleasing  satire  the 
weaknesses  and  foibles  of  well-meaning  people. 

"  Snow-Bound,"  "  Songs  of  Labor,"  and  "  Among 
the  Hills,"  while  not  historical  in  the  usual  sense, 
are  still  plainly  American,  and  may  well  be  asso- 
ciated with  other  poetic  delineations  of  American 
life.  "  Snow-Bound "  is  a  picture  of  New  England 
life,  with  its  pleasing  and  deep-rooted  memories.  Its 
family  spirit  and  idealization  of  common  objects  and 
joys  make  it  a  classic  which  reaches  the  hearts  of 
boys  and  girls.  "Among  the  Hills"  is  also  a  pic- 
ture of  home  life  in  New  England  mountains,  a  con- 
trast of  the  mean  and  low  in  home  environment  to 
the  beauty  of  thrift  and  taste  and  unselfish  home 
joys.  The  "Songs  of  Labor"  are  descriptive  of  the 
toils  and  spirit  of  our  varied  employments  in  New 


8O  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

England  and  of  that  larger  New  England  which  the 
migrating  Yankees  have  established  between  the 
oceans. 

"  Evangeline "  is  another  literary  pearl  that  en- 
shrines in  sad  and  mournful  measures  a  story  of 
colonial  days,  and  teaches  several  great  lessons,  as 
of  the  harshness  and  injustice  of  war,  of  fair-minded- 
ness and  sympathy  for  those  of  alien  speech  and 
country,  of  patience  and  gentleness  and  loyalty  to 
high  ideals  in  a  character  familiar  and  sacred  to  all. 

7.  The  Poetry  of  Nature  in  the  Masterpieces  of 
Literature. 

Both  in  poetic  and  in  prose  form  there  is  great 
variety  and  depth  of  nature  worship  in  good  litera- 
ture. There  are  few,  if  any,  of  the  great  poets  who 
have  not  been  enthusiastic  and  sympathetic  observers 
of  nature,  —  nature  lovers,  we  may  call  them.  We 
can  hardly  mention  the  names  of  Emerson,  Bryant, 
and  Wordsworth,  without  thinking  of  their  loving 
companionship  with  nature,  their  flight  to  the  woods 
and  fields.  But  the  same  is  true  of  Lowell,  Whittier, 
Hawthorne,  Whitman,  and  all  the  rest.  When  we 
add  to  these,  those  companions  of  nature,  such  as 
Thoreau,  Leander  Keyser,  Olive  Thorn  Miller,  Bur- 
roughs, Warner,  and  others  of  like  spirit,  we  may 
be  surprised  at  the  number  of  our  leading  writers 
who  have  found  their  chief  delight  in  dwelling  close 
to  the  heart  of  nature. 

An   examination  of  the  books   recommended   for 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  8 1 

children's  study  and  delight  will  reveal  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  most  graceful,  inspiriting  products  of 
human  thought,  which  are  nature  poems,  nature 
hymns,  odes  to  skylark,  the  dandelion,  the  mountain 
daisy,  communings  with  the  myriad  moods  and 
forms  of  the  natural  world.  Such  books  as  "Nature 
Pictures  by  American  Poets,"  "  Golden  Treasury  of 
Songs  and  Lyrics,"  "  Poetry  of  the  Seasons,"  the 
"  Open  Sesame"  books,  and  others,  show  an  infinite 
variety  of  poetic  inspiration  from  nature.  Adding 
to  these  Burroughs's  "Birds  and  Bees,"  "Wake 
Robin,"  "  Squirrels  and  other  Fur-bearers " ;  Tho- 
reau's  "  Succession  of  Forest  Trees  "  ;  Higginson's 
"  Outdoor  Papers " ;  Keyser's  "  News  from  the 
Birds,"  "  In  Bird  Land,"  and  "  Birddom  " ;  Torrey's 
"  Footpath  Way,"  and  "  Birds  in  the  Bush  " ;  Long's 
"Wilderness  Ways,"  and  "Ways  of  Wood  Folk"; 
the  "  Plant  World "  of  Vincent,  the  "  Natural  His- 
tory "  of  Selborne,  and  others  of  like  quality,  —  and 
we  have  an  abundance  of  the  most  friendly  and  en- 
ticing invitations  to  nature  study.  These  materials 
are  suited,  by  proper  arrangement,  to  all  the  grades 
from  the  fourth  up.  Under  good  teachers  such 
books  can  do  no  other  than  awaken  and  encourage 
the  happiest  kind  of  observation  and  sympathy  for 
nature.  It  is  the  kind  of  appreciation  of  birds  and 
trees,  insects  and  clouds,  which  at  once  trains  to 
close  and  discriminating  perception,  and  to  the  culti- 
vation of  aesthetic  sense  in  color,  form,  and  sound. 


82  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

The  love  of  nature  cannot  be  better  instilled  than 
by  following  these  poets. 

While  the  study  of  literature  as  it  images  nature 
cannot  take  the  place  of  pure  science,  it  is  the  most 
powerful  ally  that  the  scientist  can  call  in.  The 
poets  can  do  as  much  to  idealize  science  study,  to 
wake  the  dull  eye,  and  quicken  the  languid  interest 
in  nature,  as  scientists  themselves.  Away,  then, 
with  this  presumed  antagonism  between  literature 
and  science !  Neither  is  complete  without  the  other. 
Neither  can  stand  on  its  own  feet.  But  together,  in 
mutual  support,  they  cannot  be  tripped  up.  The 
facts,  the  laws,  the  utilities,  adaptations,  and  wonders 
in  nature  are  not  so  marvellous  but  the  poet's  eye 
will  pierce  beneath  and  above  them,  will  give  them 
a  deeper  interpretation,  and  clothe  them  in  a  gar- 
ment of  beauty  and  praise.  There  is  nothing  beau- 
tiful or  grand  or  praiseworthy  that  the  poet's  eye 
will  not  detect  it,  and  the  poet's  art  reveal  it  in 
living  and  lasting  forms.  Let  the  scientist  delve 
and  the  poet  sing.  The  messages  between  them 
should  be  only  those  of  cheer. 

It  is  in  this  myriad-voiced  world  of  fields  and 
brooks,  of  mountain,  lake,  and  river,  of  storm  and 
cloud  and  of  the  changing  seasons,  that  poets  find 
the  images,  suggestions,  and  analogies  which  inter- 
pret and  illustrate  the  spiritual  life  of  man.  The 
more  rigid  study  of  science  in  laboratory  and  class- 
room is  necessary  to  the  student,  but  it  would  be  a 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  83 

narrow  and  pedantic  teacher  who  would  not  welcome 
the  poetic  temper  and  enthusiasm  in  nature  study. 

The  teachers  of  reading  have,  therefore,  the  best 
of  all  opportunities  for  cultivating  this  many-sided 
sympathy  for  and  insight  into  nature,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  train  the  children  to  correlate  these 
nature  poems  with  their  science  studies.  Observers 
like  Thoreau  and  Burroughs  give  us  the  greatest 
inducement  for  getting  out  into  the  woods.  They 
open  our  eyes  to  the  beauties  and  our  hearts  to  the 
truth  of  nature's  teachings.  These  are  the  gardens 
of  delight  where  science  and  poetry  walk  hand  in 
hand  and  speak  face  to  face.  It  would  not  be  diffi- 
cult to  show  that  many  of  the  greatest  scientists 
were  poets,  and  that  some  of  the  chiefest  poets  have 
been  foremost  in  scientific  study. 

8.   The  Sentiment  of  Patriotism  in  Literature. 

The  powerful  national  spirit  finds  expression  in 
many  forms  of  literature,  in  hymns,  in  war  song,  in 
oration,  in  essay,  in  pioneer  narrative,  in  stories  of  bat- 
tle, in  novel,  in  flag  song,  in  ballad,  and  in  biography. 

We  have  already  noted  the  great  significance  of 
American  history  stories  in  fourth  and  fifth  grades. 
It  is  from  the  early  pioneer  epoch  and  the  colonial 
history  that  we  derive  much  of  our  best  educative 
history.  The  heroism  of  these  old  days  has  been 
commemorated  in  story  and  poem  by  our  best  writers. 

As  we  approach  the  Revolutionary  crisis  a  new  body 
of  choice  literary  products,  aglow  with  the  fire  of  patri- 


84  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

otism  and  independence,  is  found  stored  up  for  the  joy 
and  stimulus  of  our  growing  young  Americans  :  "  Paul 
Revere's  Ride,"  "  Grandmother's  Story  of  Bunker 
Hill,"  Washington's  letters,  "  A  Ballad  of  the  Boston 
Tea  Party,"  "  Ode  for  Washington's  Birthday,"  "  Lex- 
ington "  (Holmes),  "  The  Song  of  Marion's  Men," 
"  The  Green  Mountain  Boys,"  Webster's  speeches 
at  Bunker  Hill  and  on  Adams  and  Jefferson,  "  Old 
Ticonderoga  "  (Hawthorne),  Burke's  speech  on  the 
American  War,  Washington's  "  Farewell  to  the 
Army,"  The  Declaration  of  Independence,  "Under 
the  Old  Elm,"  and  descriptions  of  some  of  the  great 
scenes  of  the  war  by  our  best  historians. 

It  is  to  be  desired  that  children  in  the  seventh 
grade  may  have  opportunity  in  regular  history  lessons 
to  study  in  detail  a  few  of  the  central  topics  of  the 
Revolutionary  epoch.  This  will  put  them  in  touch 
with  the  spirit  and  surroundings  of  the  Americans. 

In  the  reading  lessons  of  the  same  grade  we  may 
well  afford  to  discover  and  feel  what  our  best  patriots 
and  men  of  letters  have  said  and  felt  in  view  of  the 
struggle  for  freedom.  The  noblest  expressions  of 
sentiment  upon  great  men  and  their  achievements 
are  contagious  with  the  young.  Patriotism  can  find 
no  better  soil  in  which  to  strike  its  deepest  roots  than 
the  noble  outbursts  of  our  orators  and  poets  and 
patriotic  statesmen.  The  cumulative  effect  of  these 
varied  but  kindred  materials  is  greater  than  when 
scattered  and  disconnected.  They  mutually  support 


f  ur 


UNIVERSE 
N..C  J 

LITERARY    MATERIALS  85 


each  other,  and  when  they  are  brought  into  close 
dependence  upon  parallel  historical  studies,  we  may 
well  say  that  the  children  are  drinking  from  the  deep 
and  pure  sources  of  true  Americanism. 

Parallel  to  whatever  history  we  attempt  to  teach  in 
the  eighth  grade  should  run  a  selection  of  the  best 
literary  products  that  our  American  authors  can 
furnish,  and  here  again  we  are  rich  in  resources. 
The  thought  and  life  of  our  people  find  their  high- 
water  mark  in  the  poet's  clarion  note  and  the  states- 
man's impassioned  appeal.  No  others  have  perceived 
the  destiny  of  our  young  republic  as  our  cherished 
poets,  Longfellow,  Whittier,  Bryant,  Holmes,  and 
Emerson.  They  have  stood  upon  the  mountain  tops, 
looking  far  and  wide  through  the  clear  atmosphere, 
while  the  great  army  of  the  people  has  been  tenting 
in  the  valleys  below.  These  wakeful  priests  and 
prophets  have  caught  the  bright  tints  of  the  morning 
while  the  people  were  still  asleep,  and  have  witnessed 
the  suffused  glory  of  the  sunset  clouds  when  the 
weary  masses  below  had  already  forgotten  the  day's 
toil.  One  thing  at  least,  and  that  the  greatest,  can  be 
done  for  our  children  before  they  finish  the  common 
school  course.  They  may  rise  into  this  pure  atmos- 
phere of  poet,  patriot,  sage,  and  prophet.  They  may 
hear  these  deathless  strains  and  feel  the  thrill  of  these 
clarion  notes.  Let  their  ears  be  once  attuned  to  the 
strength  and  harmony  of  this  music,  and  it  will  not 
cease  to  echo  in  their  deeper  life.  The  future 


86  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

patriots  will  be  at  hand,  and  the  coming  years  will  see 
them  rising  to  the  great  duties  that  inevitably  await 
them.  We  have  a  body  of  noble,  patriotic  material 
which  is  capable  of  producing  this  effect  if  handled 
by  skilful  teachers:  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  The 
Federalist,  Numbers  I  and  2,  Washington's  "  In- 
augurals "  and  the  "  Farewell  Address,"  Everett's 
"Oration  on  Washington,"  "  O  Mother  of  Mighty 
Race"  (Bryant);  "Our  Country's  Call"  (Bryant); 
"Abraham  Lincoln"  (Bryant);  Lincoln's  "Inaugu- 
rals "  and  "Gettysburg  Speech,"  "  Army  Hymn  "  and 
"  The  Flower  of  Liberty  "  (Holmes),  Webster's  "  Sec- 
ond Speech  on  Foot's  Resolution,"  The  Emancipation 
Proclamation,  "  The  Fortune  of  the  Republic " 
(Emerson),  etc.,  "  Antiquity  of  Freedom  "  (Bryant) ; 
"Centennial  Hymn"  (Whittier);  "The  Building  of 
the  Ship  "  (Longfellow)  ;  "  The  Poor  Voter  on  Elec- 
tion Day  "  (Whittier). 

Why  not  gather  together  these  sources  of  power, 
of  unselfish  patriotism,  of  self-sacrifice,  of  noble  and 
inspiring  impulse  ?  Let  this  fruit-bringing  seed  be 
sown  deep  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  receptive 
young.  What  has  inspired  the  best  of  men  to  high 
thinking  and  living  can  touch  them. 

It  is  not  by  reading  and  declaiming  a  few  miscel- 
laneous fragments  of  patriotic  gush,  not  by  waving 
flags  and  banners  and  following  processions,  that  the 
deeper  sentiments  of  patriotism  and  humanity  are  to 
be  touched,  but  by  gathering  and  concentrating  these 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  87 

fuller,  richer  sources  of  spiritual  power  and  conscious 
national  destiny.  The  schoolroom  is  by  far  the  best 
place  to  consolidate  these  purifying  and  conserving 
sentiments.  By  gathering  into  a  rising  series  and 
focussing  in  the  higher  grades  the  various  forms,  in 
prose  and  verse,  in  which  the  genius  of  our  country 
has  found  its  strongest  expression  ;  by  associating 
these  ringing  sentiments  with  the  epochs  and  crises 
of  our  history,  with  the  valorous  deeds  of  patriots 
upon  the  field  and  of  statesmen  in  the  senate,  with 
the  life  and  longings  of  home-nurtured  poets  and 
sages,  —  we  shall  plant  seed  whose  fruitage  will  not 
disappoint  the  lovers  of  the  fatherland. 

Mr.  Horace  E.  Scudder,  in  his  two  essays  on 
"  Literature"  and  "  American  Classics  in  the  Common 
School,"  has  portrayed  with  convincing  clearness  the 
spiritual  power  and  high-toned  Americanism  which 
breathe  from  those  literary  monuments  which  have 
been  quarried  from  our  own  hillsides  and  chiselled  by 
American  hands.  We  recommend  to  every  teacher 
the  reading  in  full  of  these  essays,  from  which  we 
quote  at  much  length  :  — 

"  Fifty  years  ago  there  were  living  in  America  six 
men  of  mark,  of  whom  the  youngest  was  then  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  the  oldest  forty-four.  Three  of 
the  six  are  in  their  graves  and  three  still  breathe  the 
kindly  air.  [Since  this  was  written,  in  1888,  the  last 
of  the  six  has  passed  away.]  One  only  of  the  six 
has  held  high  place  in  the  national  councils,  and  it  is 


88  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

not  by  that  distinction  that  he  is  known  and  loved. 
They  have  not  been  in  battle ;  they  have  had  no 
armies  at  their  command;  they  have  not  amassed 
great  fortunes,  nor  have  great  industries  waited  on 
their  movements.  Those  pageants  of  circumstances 
which  kindle  the  imagination  have  been  remote  from 
their  names.  They  were  born  on  American  soil ; 
they  have  breathed  American  air ;  they  were  nurtured 
on  American  ideas.  They  are  Americans  of  Ameri- 
cans. They  are  as  truly  the  issue  of  our  national 
life  as  are  the  common  schools  in  which  we  glory. 
During  the  fifty  years  in  which  our  common  school 
system  has  been  growing  up  to  maturity  these  six 
have  lived  and  sung ;  and  I  dare  say  that  the  lives 
and-  songs  of  Bryant,  Emerson,  Longfellow,  Whittier, 
Holmes,  and  Lowell  have  an  imperishable  value, 
regarded  as  exponents  of  national  life,  not  for  a 
moment  to  be  outweighed  in  the  balance  by  the  most 
elaborate  system  of  common  schools  which  the  wit  of 
man  may  devise.  The  nation  may  command  armies 
and  schools  to  rise  from  the  soil,  but  it  cannot  call 
into  life  a  poet.  Yet  when  the  poet  comes  and  we 
hear  his  voice  in  the  upper  air,  then  we  know  the 
nation  he  owns  is  worthy  of  the  name.  Do  men 
gather  grapes  of  thorns  or  figs  of  thistles  ?  Even  so, 
pure  poetry  springs  from  no  rank  soil  of  national 
life. 

"  I  am  not  arguing  for  the  critical  study  of   our 
great  authors,  in  the  higher  grades  of  our  schools. 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  89 

They  are  not  the  best  subjects  for  critical  scholar- 
ship ;  criticism  demands  greater  remoteness,  greater 
foreignness  of  nature.  Moreover,  critical  study  is 
not  the  surest  method  of  securing  the  full  measure 
of  spiritual  light,  though  it  yields  abundant  gain  in 
the  refinement  of  the  intellectual  nature  and  in  the 
quickening  of  the  perceptive  faculties.  I  am  arguing 
for  the  free,  generous  use  of  these  authors  in  the 
principal  years  of  school  life.  It  is  then  that  their 
power  is  most  profoundly  needed,  and  will  be  most 
strongly  felt.  We  need  to  put  our  children  in  their 
impressionable  years  into  instant  and  close  connec- 
tion with  the  highest  manifestation  of  our  national 
life.  Away  with  the  bottle  and  the  tube!  Give 
them  a  lusty  draft  at  the  mother's  full  breast! 

"Nor  do  I  fear  that  such  a  course  will  breed  a 
narrow  and  parochial  Americanism.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  would  destroy  a  vulgar  pride  in  country, 
help  the  young  to  see  humanity  from  the  heights 
on  which  the  masters  of  song  have  dwelt,  and  open 
the  mind  to  the  more  hospitable  entertainment  of 
the  best  literature  of  every  clime  and  age.  I  am 
convinced  that  there  is  no  surer  way  to  introduce 
the  best  English  literature  into  our  schools  than  to 
give  the  place  of  honor  to  American  literature.  In 
the  order  of  nature  a  youth  must  be  a  citizen  of  his 
own  country  before  he  can  become  naturalized  in  the 
world.  We  recognize  this  in  our  geography  and  his- 
tory ;  we  may  wisely  recognize  it  also  in  our  reading. 


QO  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

"The  place,  then,  of  literature  in  our  common 
school  education  is  in  spiritualizing  life,  letting  light 
into  the  mind,  inspiring  and  feeding  the  higher  forces 
of  human  nature. 

"  It  is  the  business  of  the  old  to  transmit  to  the 
young  the  great  traditions  of  the  past  of  the  country, 
to  feed  anew  the  undying  flame  of  patriotism.  There 
is  the  element  of  destiny.  No  nation  lives  upon  its 
past ;  it  is  already  dead  when  it  says,  '  Let  us  eat  and 
drink  to-day;  for  to-morrow  we  die/  But  what  that 
destiny  is  to  be  may  be  read  in  the  ideals  which  the 
young  are  forming;  and  those  ideals,  again,  it  is 
the  business  of  the  old  to  guide.  They  cannot  form 
them ;  the  young  must  form  them  for  themselves ; 
but  whether  these  ideals  shall  be  large  or  petty, 
honorable  or  mean,  will  depend  upon  the  sustenance 
on  which  they  are  fed. 

"  Now  in  a  democracy,  more  signally  than  under 
any  other  form  of  national  organization,  it  is  vitally  nec- 
essary that  there  should  be  an  unceasing,  unimpeded 
circulation  of  the  spiritual  life  of  the  people.  The 
sacrifice  of  the  men  and  women  who  have  made 
and  preserved  America,  from  the  days  of  Virginia 
and  New  England  to  this  hour,  has  been  ascending 
from  the  earth  in  a  never-ending  cloud;  they  have 
fallen  again  in  strains  of  music,  in  sculpture,  in 
painting,  in  memorial  hall,  in  tale,  in  oration,  in 
poem,  in  consecration  of  life;  and  the  spirit  which 
ascended  is  the  same  as  that  which  descended.  In 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  9 1 

literature  above  all  is  this  spirit  enshrined.  You 
have  but  to  throw  open  the  shrine,  and  the  spirit 
comes  with  its  outspread  blessings  upon  millions  of 
waiting  souls.  Entering  them,  it  reissues  in  count- 
less shapes,  and  thus  is  the  life  of  the  nation  in  its 
highest  form  kept  ever  in  motion,  and  without  motion 
is  no  life. 

"  The  deposit  of  nationality  is  in  laws,  institutions, 
art,  character,  and  religion ;  but  laws,  institutions, 
character,  and  religion  are  expressed  through  art 
and  mainly  through  the  art  of  letters.  It  is  litera- 
ture, therefore,  that  holds  in  precipitation  the  genius 
of  the  country ;  and  the  higher  the  form  of  literature, 
the  more  consummate  the  expression  of  that  spirit 
which  does  not  so  much  seek  a  materialization  as 
it  shapes  itself  inevitably  in  fitting  form.  Long  may 
we  read  and  ponder  the  life  of  Washington,  yet  at 
last  fall  back  content  upon  those  graphic  lines  of 
Lowell  in  '  Under  the  Old  Elm,'  which  cause  the 
figure  of  the  great  American  to  outline  itself  upon 
the  imagination  with  large  and  strong  portraiture. 
The  spirit  of  the  orations  of  Webster  and  Ben  ton, 
the  whole  history  of  the  young  giant  poised  in  con- 
scious strength  before  his  triumphant  struggle,  one 
may  catch  in  a  breath  in  those  glowing  lines  which  end 
*  The  Building  of  the  Ship.'  The  deep  passion  of  the 
war  for  the  Union  may  be  overlooked  in  some  formal 
study  of  battles  and  campaigns,  but  rises  pure,  strong, 
and  flaming  in  the  immortal  '  Gettysburg  Speech.' 


92  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

"  Precisely  thus  the  sentiment  of  patriotism  must 
be  kept  fresh  and  living  in  the  hearts  of  the  young 
through  quick  and  immediate  contact  with  the 
sources  of  that  sentiment;  and  the  most  helpful 
means  are  those  spiritual  deposits  of  patriotism 
which  we  find  in  noble  poetry  and  lofty  prose,  as 
communicated  by  men  who  have  lived  patriotic  lives 
and  been  fed  with  coals  from  the  altar. 

"  It  is  from  the  men  and  women  bred  on  American 
soil  that  the  fittest  words  come  for  the  spiritual  en- 
richment of  American  youth.  I  believe  heartily  in 
the  advantage  of  enlarging  one's  horizon  by  taking 
in  other  climes  and  other  ages,  but  first  let  us  make 
sure  of  that  great  expansive  power  which  lies  close 
at  hand.  I  am  sure  there  never  was  a  time  or  coun- 
try where  national  education,  under  the  guidance 
of  national  art  and  thought,  was  so  possible  as  in 
America  to-day. 

"  The  body  of  wholesome,  strong  American  litera- 
ture is  large  enough  to  make  it  possible  to  keep  boys 
and  girls  upon  it  from  the  time  when  they  begin  to 
recognize  the  element  of  authorship  until  they  leave 
the  school,  and  it  is  varied  and  flexible  enough  to 
give  employment  to  the  mind  in  all  its  stages  of 
development.  Moreover,  this  literature  is  interest- 
ing, and  is  allied  with  interesting  concerns ;  half  the 
hard  places  are  overcome  by  the  willing  mind,  and 
the  boy  who  stumbles  over  some  jejune  lesson  in  his 
reading-book  will  run  over  a  bit  of  genuine  prose 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  93 

from  Irving  which  the  schoolbook  maker,  with  his 
calipers,  pronounces  too  hard. 

"  We  have  gone  quite  far  enough  in  the  mechani- 
cal development  of  the  common  school  system. 
What  we  most  need  is  the  breath  of  life,  and  reading 
offers  the  noblest  means  for  receiving  and  imparting 
this  breath  of  life.  The  spiritual  element  in  educa- 
tion in  our  common  schools  will  be  found  to  lie  in 
reserve  in  literature,  and,  as  I  believe,  most  effec- 
tively in  American  literature. 

"  Think  for  a  moment  of  that  great,  silent,  resist- 
less power  for  good  which  might  at  this  moment  be 
lifting  the  youth  of  the  country,  were  the  hours  for 
reading  in  school  expended  upon  the  undying,  life- 
giving  books !  Think  of  the  substantial  growth  of 
a  generous  Americanism,  were  the  boys  and  girls 
to  be  fed  from  the  fresh  springs  of  American  litera- 
ture !  It  would  be  no  narrow  provincialism  into 
which  they  would  emerge.  The  windows  in  Long- 
fellow's mind  looked  to  the  east,  and  the  children 
who  have  entered  into  possession  of  his  wealth  travel 
far.  Bryant's  flight  carries  one  through  upper  air, 
over  broad  champaigns.  The  lover  of  Emerson  has 
learned  to  get  a  remote  vision.  The  companion  of 
Thoreau  finds  Concord  become  suddenly  the  centre 
of  a  very  wide  horizon.  Irving  has  annexed  Spain 
to  America.  Hawthorne  has  nationalized  the  gods 
of  Greece  and  given  an  atmosphere  to  New  England. 
Whittier  has  translated  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  into 


94  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

the  American  dialect.  Lowell  gives  the  American 
boy  an  academy  without  cutting  down  a  stick  of 
timber  in  the  grove,  or  disturbing  the  birds.  Holmes 
supplies  that  hickory  which  makes  one  careless 
of  the  crackling  of  thorns.  Franklin  makes  the 
America  of  a  past  generation  a  part  of  the  great 
world  before  treaties  had  bound  the  floating  states 
into  formal  connection  with  venerable  nations. 
What  is  all  this  but  saying  that  the  rich  inheritance 
we  have  is  no  local  ten-acre  lot,  but  a  part  of  the 
undivided  estate  of  humanity.  Universality,  Cosmo- 
politanism, —  these  are  fine  words,  but  no  man  ever 
secured  the  freedom  of  the  Universe  who  did  not 
first  pay  taxes  and  vote  in  his  own  village."  —  "  Lit- 
erature in  School "  (Houghton,  MifHin,  &  Co.). 

9.  The  series  of  American  classics  is  nowise  con- 
fined to  the  ideas  of  local  or  national  patriotism,  but 
above  and  beyond  that  deep  and  powerful  sentiment 
which  magnifies  the  opportunity  and  manifest  destiny 
of  our  nation,  it  grasps  at  the  ideal  form  and  content 
of  those  Christian  virtues  which  now  and  evermore 
carry  healing  and  comfort  to  the  toiling  millions. 
Our  poets,  as  they  have  pondered  on  the  past  and 
looked  into  the  future,  were  not  able  to  be  content 
with  less  than  the  best.  As  the  vision  of  the  com- 
ing years  unrolled  itself  before  them  they  looked 
upon  it  with  joy  mingled  with  solicitude.  In  the 
mighty  conflicts  now  upon  us  only  those  of  generous 
and  saintly  purpose  and  of  pure  hearts  can  prevail. 


LITERARY   MATERIALS  95 

"Brief  is  the  time,  I  know, 
The  warfare  scarce  begun ; 
Yet  all  may  win  the  triumphs  thou  hast  won. 
Still  flows  the  fount  whose  waters  strengthened  thee, 
The  victors'  names  are  yet  too  few  to  fill 
Heaven's  mighty  roll ;  the  glorious  armory 
That  ministered  to  thee  is  open  still."  —  BRYANT. 

To  reveal  this  Christian  armory,  the  defences  of 
the  soul  against  the  assaults  of  evil,  has  been  the 
highest  inspiration  of  our  poets.  What  depth  and 
beauty  and  impersonation  of  Christian  virtues  do  we 
find  in  " Snow-Bound,"  "Among  the  Hills,"  "Evange- 
line,  "The  Conqueror's  Grave,"  "To  a  Waterfowl," 
"  The  Groves  were  God's  First  Temples,"  "  The  Liv- 
ing Temple,"  "The  Sun  Day  Hymn,"  "The  Cham- 
bered Nautilus,"  "Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,"  "The 
Great  Stone  Face." 

The  Bible  is  not  generally  admissible  as  a  school- 
book,  but  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  clad  in  the  forms 
of  strength  and  grace,  is  immanent  in  the  works  of 
our  poets.  So  universal,  so  human,  so  fit  to  the 
needs  and  destinies  of  men,  are  the  truths  of  the 
great  evangel,  that  the  prophets  and  seers  of  our 
race  drift  evermore  into  the  sheltering  haven  they 
supply.  To  drink  in  these  potent  truths  through 
poetry  and  song,  to  see  them  enshrined  in  the  im- 
agery and  fervor  of  the  sacred  masterpieces  of  our 
literature,  is  more  than  culture,  more  than  morality ; 
it  is  the  portal  and  sanctuary  of  religious  thought, 
and  children  may  enter  it. 


96  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

10.  The  higher  products  of  literature  contain  an 
energy  that  quickens  spiritual  life  in  morals,  in  art, 
and  in  religion.  To  many  people,  whose  lives  are 
submerged  in  commercial  pursuits  or  in  the  great 
struggle  to  develop  and  utilize  the  material  resources 
of  the  world,  these  spiritual  forces  seem  vague  and 
shadowy,  if  not  mythical.  But  there  are  plenty  of 
heroic  souls  in  the  realm  of  letters,  such  as  Emerson, 
Scudder,  Ruskin,  Arnold,  and  Carlyle,  who  are  not 
disposed  to  let  men  settle  down  in  lazy  satisfaction 
with  material  good,  nor  to  be  blinded  even  by  the 
splendor  of  modern  achievements  in  engineering, 
in  medicine,  and  in  the  application  of  electricity. 
We  must  at  least  reach  a  point  of  view  high  enough 
to  perceive  the  relations  of  these  natural  riches  to 
the  higher  nature  and  destiny  of  man. 

Scudder  says,  "  It  is  to  literature  that  we  must 
look  for  the  substantial  protection  of  the  growing 
mind  against  an  ignoble,  material  conception  of  life, 
and  for  the  inspiring  power  which  shall  lift  the 
nature  into  its  rightful  fellowship  with  whatsoever 
is  noble,  true,  lovely,  and  of  good  report. " 

Shelley,  in  like  spirit,  says :  "  The  cultivation  of 
poetry  is  never  more  to  be  desired  than  at  periods 
when,  from  an  excess  of  the  selfish  and  calculating 
principle,  the  accumulation  of  the  materials  of  ex- 
ternal life  exceed  the  quantity  of  the  power  of  as- 
similating them  to  the  internal  laws  of  human  nature. 
The  body  has  then  become  too  unwieldy  for  that 
which  animates  it." 


LITERARY   MATERIALS  97 

Matthew  Arnold,  in  "  Sweetness  and  Light,"  while 
discussing  the  function  of  that  truer  culture  and  "  per- 
fection which  consists  in  becoming  something  rather 
than  in  having  something,"  remarks  :  — 

"  And  this  function  is  particularly  important  in  our 
modern  world,  of  which  the  whole  civilization  is,  to  a 
much  greater  degree  than  the  civilization  of  Greece 
and  Rome,  mechanical  and  external,  and  tends  con- 
stantly to  become  more  so.  But  above  all  in  our  own 
country  has  culture  a  weighty  part  to  perform  because 
here  that  mechanical  character,  which  civilization 
tends  to  take  everywhere,  is  shown  in  the  most  emi- 
nent degree.  Indeed,  nearly  all  the  characters  of 
perfection,  as  culture  teaches  us  to  fix  them,  meet  in 
this  country  with  some  powerful  tendency  which" 
thwarts  them  and  sets  them  at  defiance.  The  idea 
of  perfection  as  an  inward  condition  of  the  mind  and 
spirit  is  at  variance  with  the  mechanical  and  material 
civilization  in  esteem  with  us,  and  nowhere,  as  I  have 
said,  so  much  in  esteem  as  with  us." 

1 1 .  Judged  by  these  higher  standards  our  writers 
and  literary  leaders  were  not  simply  Americans.  They 
were  also  Europeans.  The  Puritan  brought  his  reli- 
gion with  him,  the  Cavalier  acquired  his  gentlemanly 
instincts  in  the  old  home,  not  in  the  untrodden  forests 
of  the  New  World.  Much  of  what  we  call  American 
is  the  wine  of  the  Old  World  poured  into  the  bear- 
skins and  buckskins  of  the  West,  with  a  flavor  of  the 
freedom  of  our  Western  wilds.  Though  born  and 


98  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

bred  on  American  soil  and  to  the  last  exemplars  of 
the  American  spirit,  our  literary  leaders  have  derived 
their  ideas  and  inspiration  from  the  literature,  tradi- 
tion, and  history  of  the  Old  World.  It  will  be  no 
small  part  of  our  purpose,  therefore,  to  open  up  to 
the  children  of  our  common  schools  the  best  entrance 
to  the  history  and  literature  of  Europe.  Our  own 
writers  and  poets  have  done  this  for  us  in  a  variety  of 
instances :  Hawthorne's  rendering  of  the  Greek  myths, 
Bryant's  translation  of  the  "Iliad"  and  "Odyssey," 
a  good  half  of  Irving's  "  Sketch-Book,"  Lowell's 
"Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,"  "Aladdin,"  and  "Prome- 
theus," Irving's  "Alhambra,"  Longfellow's  "Golden 
Legend,"  "  Sandalphon,"  Taylor's  "  Boys  of  Other 
Countries."  Nearly  the  whole  of  our  literature,  even 
when  dealing  ostensibly  with  American  topics,  is  suf- 
fused with  the  spirit  and  imagery  of  the  Old  World 
traditions.  There  is  also  a  large  collection  of  prose 
versions  of  European  traditions,  which,  while  not 
classic,  are  still  lively  renderings  of  old  stories  and 
well  suited  to  the  collateral  reading  of  children.  Such 
are  "Gods  and  Heroes,"  "Tales  from  English  His- 
tory," "  Tales  from  Spenser,"  "  Heroes  of  Asgard," 
"  Story  of  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey." 

The  transition  from  our  own  poets  who  have 
handled  European  themes  to  English  writers  who 
have  done  the  same,  is  easy  and  natural ;  Macaulay's 
"  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome,"  Scott's  "  Tales  of  a  Grand- 
father," "  The  Stories  of  Waverley,"  the  "  Christmas 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  99 

Carol,"  Kingsley's  "Greek  Heroes"  and  "Water 
Babies,"  Ruskin's  "King  of  the  Golden  River," 
"Lady  of  the  Lake,"  "  Marmion,"  "  Roger  de  Coverley 
Papers,"  "  Merchant  of  Venice,"  "  Arabian  Nights," 
"Peasant  and  Prince,"  Bunyan's  "Pilgrim's  Prog- 
ress," "  Gulliver's  Travels,"  and  others  have  become 
by  inheritance  and  birthright  as  much  a  part  of  the 
American  child's  culture  as  the  more  distinctive  prod- 
ucts of  our  own  writers.  No  line  can  be  drawn  be- 

» 

tween  those  writings  which  are  American  and  those 
which  sprung  from  the  soil  of  England  and  Europe. 
So  intimate  and  vital  is  the  connection  between  our 
present  and  our  past,  between  our  children  and  their 
cousins  across  the  water. 

These  American  and  European  literary  products  lie 
side  by  side  in  the  school  course,  though  the  predomi- 
nating spirit  through  the  middle  and  higher  grades 
up  to  the  eighth  should  be  American.  We  have 
noticed  that  in  the  earlier  grades  most  of  our  classic 
reading  matter  comes  from  Europe,  the  nursery 
rhymes,  the  folk-lore,  fables,  and  myths,  because 
the  childhood  of  our  culture  periods  was  in  Europe. 
But  into  the  fourth  grade,  and  from  there  on,  begin- 
ning with  the  pioneers  on  sea  and  land,  our  American 
history  and  literature  enters  as  a  powerful  agent  of 
culture.  It  brings  us  into  quick  and  vital  contact,  not 
simply  with  the  outward  facts,  but  with  the  inmost 
spirit,  of  our  national  life  and  struggle  toward  de- 
velopment. This  gives  the  American  impulse  free 


100  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

and  full  expansion,  and  fortunate  are  we,  beyond 
expression,  that  pure  and  lofty  poets  stand  at  the 
threshold  to  usher  the  children  into  this  realm, 
founded  deep  in  the  realism  of  our  past  history  and 
rising  grandly  into  the  idealism  of  our  desires  and 
hopes.  As  we  advance  into  the  sixth,  seventh, 
and  eighth  grades  the  literature  of  Europe  begins 
again  to  increase  in  quantity  and  influence,  and  to 
share  equally  with  American  authors  the  attention 
of  the  children. 

The  Americanism  of  our  poets  and  prose  writers, 
as  previously  shown,  has  also  another  side  to  it,  which 
is  one  sign  of  the  breadth  and  many-sidedness  of  lit- 
erature as  a  study  for  the  young.  North  America  is 
a  land  rich  in  variety  of  natural  scenery  and  resource. 
Nature  has  decked  the  New  World  with  a  lavish  hand, 
forest  and  mountain,  lake  and  river,  prairie  and 
desert,  the  summer  land  of  flowers  and  the  home  of 
New  England  winters.  The  masterpieces  of  our  poets 
are  full  of  the  scenery,  vegetation,  sunsets,  mountains, 
and  prairies  of  the  Western  empire.  The  flowers,  the 
birds,  the  wild  beasts,  the  pathless  forests,  the  limit- 
less stretches  of  plain,  have  mirrored  themselves  in 
the  songs  of  our  poets,  and  have  rendered  them 
dearer  to  us  because  seen  and  realized  in  this  ideal- 
ism. Unconsciously  perhaps  the  feeling  of  patri- 
otism is  largely  based  upon  this  knowledge  of  the 
rich  and  varied  beauty  and  bounty  of  our  native 
land. 


LITERARY    MATERIALS  IOI 

"  I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills, 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills, 
Like  that  above." 

As  along  the  shores  of  our  Northern  lakes  the  clear 
and  quiet  waters  reflect  the  green  banks,  the  rolling, 
forest-crowned  hills,  the  rocky  bluffs,  the  floating 
clouds,  and  overarching  blue,  so  in  the  homespun, 
classic  verse  and  prose  of  our  own  writers  are  imaged 
the  myriad  charms  of  our  native  land.  Bryant 
especially  is  the  poet  of  forest  and  glade,  "  The  For- 
est Hymn,"  "  The  Death  of  the  Flowers,"  "  The  Re- 
turn of  the  Birds,"  "A  Summer  Ramble,"  "The 
Fringed  Gentian,"  "The  Hunter  of  the  Prairies," 
"The  White-footed  Deer,"  "To  a  Waterfowl," 
"  Thanatopsis,"  and  many  others.  Longfellow's 
"Hiawatha,"  "  Evangeline "  ;  Whittier's  "Barefoot 
Boy,"  "Songs  of  Labor,"  "Among  the  Hills,"  and 
"  Snow-Bound  "  ;  Hawthorne's  "  Tales  of  the  White 
Hills";  Holmes's  "Spring";  Lowell's  "Indian  Sum- 
mer Reverie,"  "  The  Oak,"  and  many  more. 

The  literature  selected  for  these  grades  has  a  wide 
scope.  It  is  instinct  with  the  best  Americanism.  It 
draws  from  Europe  at  every  breath,  while  enjoying 
the  freedom  of  the  West.  Social,  political,  and  home 
life  and  virtue  are  portrayed  in  great  variety  of  dress. 
Nature  also  and  natural  science  reveal  the  myriad 
forms  of  beauty  and  utility. 


CHAPTER   IV 

CLASS-ROOM   METHOD   IN   READING 

I.   THE  Doorway. 

There  is  a  strong  comfort  in  the  idea  that  in  the 
preparation  of  a  masterpiece  for  a  reading  class  the 
teacher  may  be  dealing  with  a  unity  of  thought  in  a 
variety  of  relations  that  makes  the  study  a  compre- 
hensive culture-product  both  to  herself  and  to  the 
children.  To  become  a  student  of  "  Hiawatha  "  as  a 
whole,  and  in  its  relations  to  Indian  life  and  tradition, 
early  aboriginal  history,  and  Longfellow's  connection 
with  the  same,  is  to  throw  a  deep  glance  into  history 
and  anthropology,  and  to  recognize  literature  as  the 
permanent  form  of  expressing  their  spirit.  There 
are  a  good  many  side-lights  that  a  teacher  needs  to 
get  from  history  and  other  literature,  and  from  the 
author's  life,  in  order  to  see  a  literary  masterpiece  in 
its  true  setting.  It  is  the  part  of  the  poet  to  make 
his  work  intensely  real  and  ideal,  the  two  elements 
that  appeal  with  trenchant  force  to  children.  The 
teacher  needs  not  only  to  see  the  graphic  pictures 
drawn  by  the  artist,  but  to  gather  about  these  central 
points  of  view  other  collateral,  explanatory  facts  that 
give  a  deeper  setting  to  the  picture.  Fortunately, 

102 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING  IO3 

such  study  as  this  is  not  burdensome.  There  is  a 
joyousness  and  sparkle  to  it  that  can  relieve  many 
an  hour  of  tedium.  Literature  in  its  best  forms  is 
recreation,  and  brings  an  infusion  of  spiritual  energy. 
We  should  not  allow  ourselves  to  confuse  it  with 
those  more  humdrum  forms  of  school  employment, 
like  spelling,  figuring,  reading  in  the  formal  sense, 
grammar,  writing,  etc.  Literature  is  the  spiritual 
side  of  school  effort,  the  uplands  of  thought,  where 
gushing  springs  well  from  the  roots  and  shade  of 
overarching  trees.  There  is  jollity  and  music,  beauty 
and  grandeur,  the  freshness  of  cool  breezes  and  of 
mountain  scenery,  in  such  profusion  as  to  satisfy  the 
exuberance  of  youthful  spirit,  and  to  infuse  new 
energy  into  old  and  tired  natures.  If  the  teacher 
can  only  get  out  of  the  narrow  streets  of  the  town 
and  from  between  the  dead  walls  of  the  schoolroom, 
up  among  the  meadows  and  groves  and  brooks,  in 
company  with  Bryant  or  Longfellow  or  Whittier,  if  she 
can  only  take  a  draught  of  these  spirit-waters  before 
walking  into  the  schoolroom,  her  thought  and  con- 
duct will  be  tempered  into  a  fit  instrument  of  culture. 
The  teacher's  preparation  is  not  only  in  the  intel- 
lectual grasp  of  the  thought,  but  in  the  sympathy, 
feeling,  and  pleasure  germane  to  a  classic.  The 
aesthetic  and  emotional  elements,  the  charm  of  poetry, 
and  the  sparkle  of  wit  and  glint  of  literary  elegance 
and  aptness  are  what  give  relish  and  delight  to  true 
literary  products.  Literature  appeals  to  the  whole 

TB  R/Tf- 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


IO4  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

nature  and  not  to  the  intellect  alone.  It  is  not  super- 
ficial and  formal,  but  deep  and  spiritual.  The  teacher 
who  reads  a  classic  like  "  Marmion,"  thoughtfully 
dwelling  upon  the  historic  pictures,  calling  to  mind 
other  of  Scott's  stories  and  the  earlier  struggle  be- 
tween Scotland  and  England,  is  drinking  at  the  fresh 
fountains  and  sources  of  some  of  the  best  parts  of 
European  history.  The  clear  and  rock-rimmed  lakes 
of  Scotland,  her  rugged  mountains  and  ruined  castle 
walls,  are  not  more  delightful  to  the  traveller  than  the 
pictures  of  life  and  history  that  appear  in  "  Tales  of 
a  Grandfather,"  "  Rob  Roy,"  "  Marmion,"  and  "  Lady 
of  the  Lake."  To  paint  these  stirring  panoramic 
views  of  Scotch  adventure  and  prowess  upon  the 
imagination  of  the  young  is  to  invigorate  their  thought 
with  the  real  sentiment  of  patriotism,  and  with  appre- 
ciation for  manly  struggle,  endurance,  and  spirit. 
The  vivid  insight  it  gives  into  feudal  society  in 
church  and  court  and  castle,  on  battle-field  and  in 
dining  hall,  among  the  rude  peasantry  and  the  unlet- 
tered nobility,  is  found  more  lifelike  and  lasting 
than  the  usual  results  of  historical  study. 

The  moment  we  take  a  longer  masterpiece  and 
examine  it  as  a  representative  piece  of  human  life,  or 
as  a  typical  portraiture  of  a  historical  epoch,  it 
becomes  the  converging  point  for  much  lively  and 
suggestive  knowledge,  deep  and  strong  social  inter- 
ests, and  convincing  personification  of  moral  impulses. 

The  best  preparation,  therefore,  a  teacher  can  make 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING  IO5 

for  a  class  is  a  spiritual  and  spirited  one.  At  first 
the  linguistic,  formal,  verbal  mastery  of  literature,  its 
critical  examination,  even  its  elocution,  should  remain 
in  the  background  both  for  teacher  and  children. 
Let  the  direct  impress  of  the  thought,  motive,  and 
emotion  of  the  characters  be  unimpeded;  give  the 
author  a  chance  to  speak  direct  to  the  hearts  of  the 
children,  and  the  avenue  toward  the  desired  results  in 
formal  reading  will  be  left  wide  open. 

We  would  not  deny  that  a  certain  labor  is  required 
of  the  teacher  in  such  preparation.  But,  in  the  main, 
it  is  a  refreshing  kind  of  labor.  If  it  brings  a  feel- 
ing of  weariness,  it  is  the  kind  that  conduces  to 
sound  and  healthy  sleep.  It  invokes  a  feeling  of 
inward  power  and  of  accumulated  rich  resource  that 
helps  us  to  meet  with  confidence  the  emergencies 
and  opportunities  of  instruction. 

2.  In  the  assignment  of  the  lesson  the  teacher  has  a 
chance  to  give  the  children  a  glimpse  of  the  pleasure 
that  awaits  them,  and  to  catch  a  little  of  the  enthu- 
siasm which  her  own  study  has  awakened.  This 
should  be  done  briefly  and  by  significant  suggestion. 
I*  first  introducing  a  longer  work,  it  will  pay  to 
occupy  more  than  is  usual  in  recitations  in  opening 
up  the  new  subject;  if  it  is  historical,  in  locating  the 
time,  circumstances,  and  geographical  setting.  The 
chief  aim  of  the  assignment  should  be  to  awaken 
curiosity  and  interest  which  may  be  strong  enough  to 
lead  to  a  full  and  appreciative  study  of  the  lesson. 


IO6  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

A  second  aim  of  the  assignment  is  to  pave  the  way 
to  an  easier  mastery  of  verbal  difficulties  that  arise, 
such  as  new  and  difficult  words,  obscure  or  involved 
passages.  The  first  aim  is  a  substantial  and  fruitful 
one.  It  approaches  the  whole  reading  lesson  from 
the  side  of  interest  and  spirit.  It  seeks  to  plant 
direct  incentives  and  suggestions  deep  enough  in  the 
mind  to  start  effort.  The  assignment  should  take  it 
for  granted  that  natural  interest  and  absorption  in 
the  thought  will  lead  directly  to  that  kind  of  vigorous 
effort  and  mastery  that  will  secure  natural  and  ex- 
pressive oral  reading.  Look  well  to  the  deeper 
springs  of  thought  and  action,  and  the  formal  read- 
ing will  open  just  the  avenue  needed  to  realize  good 
expression. 

Skill,  originality,  and  teaching  art  are  much  needed 
in  the  assignment.  It  is  not  how  much  the  teacher 
says,  but  the  suggestiveness  of  it,  the  problems 
raised,  the  questions  whose  answers  lie  in  the  exam- 
ination of  the  lesson.  The  reference  to  previous 
readings  which  bear  resemblance  to  this  selection; 
the  inquiry  into  children's  experiences,  sets  them  to 
thinking.  • 

Sometimes  it  pays  to  spend  five  or  ten  minutes  in 
attacking  the  difficult  words  and  meanings  of  the 
lesson  assigned.  Let  the  class  read  on  and  discover 
words  or  phrases  that  puzzle  them.  Let  difficult 
forms  be  put  on  the  board  and  syllabicated  if  neces- 
sary. A  brief  study  of  synonymous  words  and 
phrases  may  be  in  place. 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING 

It  is  a  mistake  to  decline  all  helpful  and  sugges- 
tive study  of  the  next  lesson  in  class,  on  the  ground 
that  it  invalidates  the  self-activity  of  children.  Self- 
activity  is,  indeed,  the  chief  aim  of  a  good  assign- 
ment. It  is  designed  to  stimulate  the  children  to 
energetic  and  well-directed  effort.  Self-activity  is 
•not  encouraged  by  requiring  children  to  struggle 
with  obstacles  they  have  not  the  ability  to  surmount. 
Pronouncing  new  words  and  searching  for  dictionary 
meanings  is  often  made  a  mechanical  labor  which  is 
irksome  and  largely  fruitless,  because  the  wrong 
pronunciations  are  learned  and  the  definitions  do 
not  fit.  Before  children  are  required  to  use  the  dic- 
tionary in  pronouncing  and  defining  words,  they  need 
careful  exercises  in  how  to  use  and  to  interpret  the 
dictionary. 

The  teacher  needs  to  make  a  study  of  the  art  of 
assigning  lessons.  Clearness  and  simplicity,  so  as  to 
give  no  ground  for  misunderstandings,  are  the  result 
of  thoughtful  preparation  on  the  teacher's  part. 
There  is  always  danger  of  giving  too  much  or  too 
little,  of  carelessness  and  unsteady  requirements, 
overburdening  the  children  one  day,  and  even  for- 
getting the  next  day  to  assign  a  definite  task.  The 
forethought  and  precision  with  which  a  teacher 
assigns  her  lessons  is  one  of  the  best  tests  of  her 
prudence  and  success  in  teaching. 

It  is  necessary  also  to  be  on  one's  guard  against 
hasty  assignments.  Even  when  proper  care  has 


IO8  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

been  taken  in  planning  the  next  lesson,  the  time 
slips  by  with  urgent  work,  and  the  signal  for  dis- 
missal comes  before  time  has  been  taken  for  any 
clear  assignment. 

If  the  teacher  knows  just  what  references  will 
throw  added  light  upon  the  lesson,  what  books  and 
pages  will  be  directly  helpful,  if  he  can  appoint  dif- 
ferent pupils  to  look  up  particular  references  and 
sometimes  even  go  to  the  library  with  them  and 
search  for  the  references,  in  grades  from  the  fifth 
through  the  eighth,  the  result  may  be  very  helpful. 
In  the  class  recitation  it  is  necessary  to  gather  up 
the  fruits  of  this  reference  work  with  as  little  waste 
of  time  as  possible,  recognizing  that  it  is  purely 
collateral  to  the  main  purpose. 

Pictures  and  maps  are  useful  oftentimes  as  refer- 
ences. As  children  advance  in  the  grades,  they  are 
capable  of  greater  independence  and  judgment  in  the 
use  of  such  materials.  General,  loose,  and  indefinite 
references  are  a  sign  of  ignorance,  carelessness,  and 
lack  of  preparation  on  the  teacher's  part.  They  are 
discouraging  and  unprofitable  to  children.  But  we 
desire  to  see  children  broadening  their  views,  extend- 
ing their  knowledge  of  books  and  of  how  to  use  them. 
The  amount  of  good  literature  that  can  be  well 
treated  and  read  in  the  class  is  small,  but  much  sug- 
gestive outside  home  and  vacation  reading  may  be 
encouraged,  that  will  open  a  still  wider  and  richer 
area  of  personal  study. 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING  IOQ 

3.  In  spite  of  all  the  precautions  of  the  teacher,  in 
spite  of  lively  interest  and  intelligent  study  by  the 
children,  there  will  be  many  haltings  and  blunders, 
many  inaccuracies  in  the  use  of  eye  and  voice. 
These  faults  spring  partly  from  habit  and  previous 
home  influences.  The  worst  faults  are  often  those 
of  which  a  child  is  unconscious,  so  habitual  have  they 
become.  If  we  are  to  meet  these  difficulties  wisely, 
we  must  start  and  keep  up  a  strong  momentum  in 
the  class.  There  should  be  a  steady  and  strong 
current  of  effort  in  which  all  share.  This  depends, 
as  has  been  often  said,  upon  the  power  of  the  selec- 
tion to  awaken  the  thought  and  feeling  of  the  chil- 
dren. It  depends  equally  upon  the  pervasive  spirit 
and  energy  of  the  teacher.  If  we  try  to  analyze  this 
complex  phenomenon,  we  may  find  that,  so  far  as  the 
children  are  concerned,  two  elements  are  present, 
natural  and  spontaneous  absorption  in  the  ideas  and 
sensibilities  awakened  by  the  author,  and  the  bracing 
conviction  that  sustained  effort  is  expected  and  re- 
quired by  the  teacher.  Children,  to  read  well,  must 
be  free ;  they  must  feel  the  force  of  ideas  and  of  the 
emotions  and  convictions  awakened  by  them.  They 
must  also  be  conscious  of  that  kind  of  authority  and 
control  which  insists  upon  serious  and  sustained 
effort.  Freedom  to  exercise  their  own  powers  and 
obedience  to  a  controlling  influence  are  needful.  If 
the  teacher  can  secure  this  right  movement  and  fer- 
ment in  a  class,  she  will  be  able  to  correct  the  errors 


IIO  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

and  change  bad  habits  into  the  desired  form  of  ex- 
pression. The  correction  of  errors,  in  the  main, 
should  be  quiet,  incidental,  suggestive,  not  disturbing 
the  child's  thought  and  effort,  not  destroying  the 
momentum  of  his  sentiment  and  feeling.  Let  him 
move  on  firmly  and  vigorously ;  only  direct  his  move- 
ment here  and  there,  modify  his  tone  by  easy  sugges- 
tions and  pertinent  questions,  and  encourage  him  as 
far  as  possible  in  his  own  effort  to  appreciate  and 
express  the  author's  idea. 

In  reading  lessons  there  are  certain  purely  formal 
exercises  that  are  very  helpful.  The  single  and  con- 
cert pronunciation  of  difficult  or  unusual  words  that 
come  up  in  old  and  new  lessons,  the  vocal  exercises 
in  syllabication  and  in  vowel  and  consonant  drill,  are 
examples.  They  should  be  quick  and  vigorous,  and 
preliminary  to  their  application  in  lessons. 

4.  The  teacher  is  only  a  guide  and  interpreter. 
With  plenty  of  reserve  power,  he  should  only  draw 
upon  it  occasionally.  His  chief  business  is  not  to 
show  the  children  how  to  read  by  example,  nor  to  be 
always  explaining  and  amplifying  the  thought  of  the 
author.  His  aim  should  be  to  best  call  the  minds  of 
the  children  into  strong  action  through  the  stimula- 
tion of  the  author's  thought,  and  to  go  a  step  farther 
and  reproduce  and  mould  this  thought  into  oral 
expression. 

In  order  to  call  out  the  best  efforts  of  children,  a 
teacher  needs  to  study  well  the  art  of  questioning. 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING  III 

The  range  of  possibilities  in  questioning  is  very 
wide.  If  a  rational,  sensible  question  is  regarded  as 
the  central  or  zero  point,  there  are  many  degrees 
below  it  in  the  art  of  questioning  and  many  degrees 
above  it.  Below  it  is  a  whole  host  of  half -rational  or 
useless  questions  which  would  better  be  left  unborn: 
What  does  this  word  mean  ?  Why  didn't  you  study 
your  lesson  ?  Why  weren't  you  paying  attention  ? 
What  is  the  definition  of  also  ?  How  many  mistakes 
did  Mary  make  ? 

Much  time  is  sometimes  wasted  in  trying  to  an- 
swer aimless  or  trivial  questions :  Jjeter,  what  does 
this  strange  word  mean,  or  how  do  you  pronounce  it  ? 
Ethel  may  try  it.  Who  thinks  he  can  pronounce  it 
better?  Johnny,  try  it.  Perhaps  somebody  knows 
how  it  ought  to  be.  Sarah,  can't  you  pronounce  it  ? 
Finally,  after  various  efforts,  the  teacher  passes  on  to 
something  else  without  even  making  clear  the  true 
pronunciation  or  meaning.  This  is  worse  than  kill- 
ing time.  It  is  befuddling  the  children.  A  question 
should  aim  clearly  at  some  important  idea,  and  should 
bring  out  a  definite  result.  The  children  should 
have  time  to  think,  but  not  to  guess  and  dawdle,  and 
then  be  left  groping  in  the  dark. 

The  chief  aim  of  questions  is  to  arouse  vigor  and 
variety  of  thought  as  a  means  of  better  appreciation 
and  expression.  Children  read  poorly  because  they 
do  not  see  the  meaning  or  do  not  feel  the  force 
of  the  sentiment.  They  give  wrong  emphasis  and 


112  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

intonation.  A  good  question  is  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning which  suddenly  reveals  our  standing-ground  and 
surroundings,  and  gives  the  child  a  chance  to  strike 
out  again  for  himself.  His  intelligence  lights  up,  he 
sees  the  point,  and  responds  with  a  significant  ren- 
dering of  the  thought.  But  the  teacher  must  be  a 
thinker  to  ask  simple  and  pertinent  questions.  He 
can't  go  at  it  in  a  loose  and  lumbering  fashion. 
Lively  and  sympathetic  and  appreciative  of  the 
child's  moods  and  feelings  must  he  be,  as  well  as 
clear  and  definite  in  his  own  perception  of  the 
author's  meaning. 

Questioning  for  meaning  is  equivalent  to  that  for 
securing  expression,  and  thus  two  birds  are  hit  with 
one  stone.  A  pointed  question  energizes  thought 
along  a  definite  line,  and  leads  to  a  more  intense  and 
vivid  perception  of  the  meaning.  This  is  just  the 
vantage-ground  we  desire  in  order  to  secure  good 
expression.  We  wish  children  not  to  imitate,  but 
first  to  see  and  feel,  and  then  to  express  in  becoming 
wise  the  thought  as  they  see  it  and  feel  it.  This 
makes  reading  a  genuine  performance,  not  a  parrot- 
like  formalism. 

5.  Trying  to  awaken  the  mental  energy  and  action 
of  a  class  as  they  move  on  through  a  masterpiece, 
requires  constant,  watchfulness  to  keep  alive  their 
sense-perceptions  and  memories,  and  to  touch  their 
imaginations  into  constructive  effort  at  every  turn  in 
the  road.  Through  the  direct  action  of  the  senses 


CLASS-ROOM   METHOD    IN   READING  113 

the  children  have  accumulated  much  variety  of  sense- 
materials,  of  country  and  town,  of  hill,  valley,  river, 
lake,  fields,  buildings,  industries,  roads,  homes,  gar- 
dens, seasons.  Out  of  this  vast  and  varied  quarry 
they  are  able  to  gather  materials  with  which  to  con- 
struct any  landscape  or  situation  you  may  desire. 
Give  the  children  abundance  of  opportunity  to  use 
these  collected  riches,  and  to  construct,  each  in  his 
own  way,  the  scenes  and  pictures  that  the  poet's 
art  so  vividly  suggests.  Many  of  the  questions  we 
ask  of  children  are  designed  simply  to  recall  and 
reawaken  images  which  lie  dormant  in  their  minds, 
or,  on  the  other  hand,  to  find  out  whether  they  can 
combine  their  old  sense-perceptions  so  skilfully  and 
vividly  as  to  realize  the  present  situation.  Keen  and 
apt  questions  will  reach  down  into  the  depth  of  a 
child's  life  experiences  and  bring  up  concrete  images 
which  the  fancy  then  modifies  and  adjusts  to  the 
present  need.  The  teacher  may  often  suggest  some- 
thing in  his  own  observations  to  kindle  like  memories 
in  theirs.  Or,  if  the  subject  seems  unfamiliar,  he 
may  bring  on  a  picture  from  book  or  magazine. 
Sometimes  a  sketch  or  diagram  on  the  board  may 
give  sense-precision  and  definiteness  to  the  object 
discussed,  even  though  it  be  rudely  drawn.  This  con- 
stant appeal  to  what  is  real  and  tangible  and  experi- 
mental, not  only  locates  things  definitely  in  time  and 
space,  makes  clear  and  plain  what  was  hazy  or  mean- 
ingless, awakens  interest  by  connecting  the  story  or 


1 14  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

description  with  former  experiences,  but  it  sets  in 
action  the  creative  imagination  which  shapes  and 
builds  up  new  and  pleasing  structures,  combining  old 
and  new.  This  kind  of  mental  elaboration,  which 
reaches  back  into  the  senses  and  forward  into  the 
imagination,  is  what  gives  mobility  and  adjustability  to 
our  mental  resources.  It  is  not  stiff  and  rigid  and 
refractory  knowledge  that  we  need.  Ideas  may 
retain  their  truth  and  strength,  their  inward  quality, 
and  still  submit  to  infinite  variations  and  adjustments. 
Water  is  one  of  the  most  serviceable  of  all  nature's 
compounds,  because  it  has  such  mobility  of  form, 
such  capacity  to  dissolve  and  take  into  solution  other 
substances,  or  of  being  absorbed  and  even  lost  sight 
of  in  other  bodies.  The  ideas  we  have  gathered  and 
stored  up  from  all  sources  are  our  building  mate- 
rials ;  the  imagination  is  the  architect  who  conceives 
the  plan  and  directs  the  use  of  different  materials 
in  the  growth  of  the  new  structures.  The  teach- 
er's chief  function  in  reading  classes  is,  on  the  one 
hand,  to  see  that  children  revive  and  utilize  their 
sense-knowledge,  and  on  the  other,  to  wake  the 
sleeping  giant  and  set  him  to  work  to  build  the 
beauteous  structures  for  which  the  materials  have 
been  prepared.  But  for  this,  teachers  could  be  dis- 
pensed with.  As  Socrates  said,  they  are  only 
helpers  ;  they  stand  by,  not  to  perform  the  work,  but 
to  gently  guide,  to  stimulate,  and  now  and  then  to 
lend  a  helping  hand  over  a  bad  place. 


CLASS-ROOM   METHOD    IN    READING  1 15 

Explanations,  therefore,  on  the  teacher's  part, 
should  be  clear  and  brief,  purely  tributary  to  the 
main  effort.  In  younger  classes,  when  the  children 
have,  as  yet,  little  ability  to  use  references,  the 
teacher  may  add  much,  especially  if  it  be  concrete, 
graphic,  picturesque,  and  bearing  directly  upon  the 
subject.  But  as  children  grow  more  self-reliant 
they  can  look  up  facts  and  references,  and  bring 
more  material  themselves  to  the  elucidation  of  the 
lesson.  But  even  in  adult  classes  the  rich  experience 
of  a  trained  and  wise  teacher,  whose  illustrations  are 
apt  and  graphic  and  criticisms  incisive,  is  an  intense 
pleasure  and  stimulus  to  students. 

6.  The  major  part  of  time  and  effort  in  reading 
classes  should  be  given  to  the  reading  proper,  and 
not  to  oral  discussions,  explanations,  and  collateral 
information  and  references.  It  is  possible  to  have 
interesting  discussions  and  much  use  of  reference 
books,  and  still  make  small  progress  in  expressive 
reading.  The  main  thing  should  not  be  lost  sight 
of.  We  should  learn  to  march  steadily  forward 
through  lively  and  energetic  thought  toward  expres- 
sive reading.  There  is  no  other  right  approach  to 
good  reading  except  through  a  lively  grasp  of  the 
thought,  sentiment,  and  style  of  the  author.  But  the 
side-lights  that  come  from  collateral  reading  and 
reference  are  of  great  significance.  They  are  some- 
thing like  the  scenery  on  the  stage.  They  make 
the  effect  more  intense  and  real.  They  supply  a 


Il6  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

background  of  environment  and  association  which 
give  the  ideas  more  local  significance  and  a  stronger 
basis  in  the  whole  complex  of  ideas. 

The  reading  or  oral  rendering  is  the  final  test  of 
understanding  and  appreciation  of  the  lesson.  The 
recitation  should  focus  in  this  applied  art.  All 
questioning  and  discussion  that  do  not  eventuate  in 
expressive  reading  fall  short  of  their  proper  result. 
Reading  is  a  school  exercise  in  which  the  principles 
discussed  can  be  immediately  applied,  and  this  is 
scarcely  true  in  studies  like  history,  science,  and 
mathematics.  There  are  many  hindrances  in  the 
way  of  this  fruitful  result ;  the  teacher  is  tempted  to 
talk  and  explain  too  much,  interesting  questions  and 
controversies  spring  up,  trivial  matters  receive  too 
much  consideration,  much  time  is  spent  in  the  oral 
reproduction  of  the  thought ;  often  the  time  slips  by 
with  a  minimum  of  effective  reading. 

The  questions,  discussions,  collateral  references, 
and  explanations  should  be  brought  into  immediate 
connection  with  the  children's  reading,  so  that  the 
special  thought  may  produce  its  effect  upon  expres- 
sion. This  test  of  effectiveness  is  a  good  one  to 
apply  to  explanations,  definitions,  and  questions. 
Unless  they  produce  a  pronounced  effect  upon  the 
reading,  they  are  largely  superfluous.  In  view  of 
this  the  teacher  will  learn  to  be  sparing  of  words, 
laconic  and  definite  in  statement,  pointed  and  clear 
in  questioning,  and  energetic  in  pushing  forward. 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING  1 17 

While  interest  in  the  thought-content  is  the  impel- 
ling motive  in  good  reading  exercises,  lively  and 
natural  expression  is  likewise  the  proper  fruit  and 
outcome  of  such  a  motive  carried  to  its  proper  end. 
7.  In  order  to  keep  up  the  right  interest  and 
movement,  it  is  necessary  to  give  considerable  vari- 
ety to  the  work.  A  teacher's  good  sense  and  tact 
should  be  like  a  thermometer  which  registers  the 
mental  temperature  of  the  class.  If  kept  too  long  at 
a  single  line  of  effort,  its  monotony  induces  careless- 
ness and  inattention;  while  a  total  change  to  some 
other  order  of  exercise  would  awake  their  interest 
and  zeal.  Variety  is  needed  also  within  the  compass 
of  a  single  recitation,  because  there  are  several  pre- 
liminaries and  varieties  of  preparatory  drill  which 
conduce  to  good  rendering  of  any  selection.  Such 
are  vocal  exercises  in  consonants  and  vowels ;  pro- 
nunciation and  syllabication  of  new  or  difficult 
words ;  physical  exercises  to  put  the  body  and  ner- 
vous system  into  proper  tone;  the  assignment  of  the 
next  lesson,  requiring  a  peculiar  effort  and  manner 
of  treatment;  the  report  and  discussion  of  refer- 
ences ;  concert  drills ;  the  study  of  meanings  —  syno- 
nyms and  derivations;  illustrations  and  information 
by  the  teacher ;  introduction  of  other  illustrative  mat- 
ter, as  pictures,  drawings,  maps,  and  diagrams. 
Variety  can  be  given  to  each  lesson  in  many  ways 
according  to  the  ingenuity  of  the  teacher.  If  we  are 
reading  a  number  of  short  selections,  they  themselves 


Il8  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

furnish  different  varieties  and  types  of  prose  and 
verse.  The  dramatist  or  novelist  provides  for  such 
variety  by  introducing  a  series  of  diverse  scenes,  all 
leading  forward  to  a  common  end. 

8.  Parallel  to  the  requirement  of  variety  is  the 
equally  important  demand  that  children  should  learn 
to  do  one  thing  at  a  time  and  learn  to  do  it  well. 
This  may  appear  contradictory  to  the  former  require- 
ment, but  the  skill  and  tact  of  the  teacher  is  what 
should  solve  this  seeming  contradiction.  It  is  a  fact 
that  we  try  to  do  too  many  things  in  each  reading 
lesson.  We  fail  to  pound  on  one  nail  long  enough 
to  drive  it  in.  Reading  lessons  often  resemble  a 
child  pounding  nails  into  a  board.  He  strikes  one 
nail  a  blow  or  two,  then  another,  and  so  on  until  a 
dozen  or  more  are  in  all  stages  of  incompleteness. 
We  too  often  allow  the  recitation  hour  to  end  with  a 
number  of  such  incomplete  efforts.  Good  reading  is 
not  like  moving  a  house,  when  it  is  all  carried  along 
in  one  piece.  We  reach  better  results  if  we  concen- 
trate attention  and  effort  during  a  recitation  along 
the  line  of  a  narrow  aim.  At  least  this  seems  true 
of  the  more  formal,  mechanical  side  of  reading.  It 
is  better  to  try  to  break  up  bad  habits,  one  at  a  time, 
rather  than  to  make  a  general,  indefinite  onslaught 
upon  all  together.  Suppose,  for  example,  that  the 
teacher  suggests  as  an  aim  of  the  lesson  conversa- 
tional reading,  or  tha't  which  sounds  like  pupils  talk- 
ing to  each  other.  Many  dialogue  selections  admit 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN   READING  ,      IIQ 

of  such  an  aim  as  this.  If  this  aim  is  set  up  at  the 
beginning  of  the  lesson,  the  children's  minds  will  be 
rendered  acute  in  this  direction ;  they  will  be  on  the 
alert  for  this  kind  of  game.  Each  child  who  reads 
is  scrutinized  by  teacher  and  pupils  to  see  how  near 
he  comes  to  the  ideal.  A  conscious  effort  begins  to 
dominate  the  class  to  reach  this  specific  goal.  Chil- 
dren may  close  their  eyes  and  listen  to  see  if  the 
reading  has  the  right  sound.  A  girl  or  boy  goes 
into  an  adjoining  entry  or  dressing  room  and  listens 
to  see  if  those  in  the  class  are  reading  or  talking. 
The  enthusiasm  and  class  spirit  awakened  are  very 
helpful.  Not  that  a  whole  recitation  should  be  given 
up  to  that  sort  of  thing,  but  it  is  the  characteristic 
effort  of  the  lesson.  When  the  children  practise  the 
next  lesson  at  home  they  will  have  this  point  in 
mind. 

For  several  days  this  sort  of  specific,  definite  aim 
at  a  narrow  result  may  be  followed  up  in  the  class 
till  the  children  begin  to  acquire  power  in  this  direc- 
tion. What  was,  at  first,  painfully  conscious  effort 
begins  to  assume  the  form  of  habit,  and  when  this 
result  is  achieved,  we  may  drop  this  aim  as  a  leading 
one  in  the  recitation,  and  turn  our  attention  to  some 
different  line  of  effort.  Distinct  pronunciation  of 
sounds  is  one  of  the  things  that  we  are  always  aim- 
ing at,  in  a  general  way,  and  never  getting.  Why 
not  set  this  up  in  a  series  of  recitations  as  a  definite 
aim,  and  resort  to  a  series  of  devices  to  lay  bare  the 


I2O     ^  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

kind  of  faults  the  children  are  habitually  guilty  of? 
Give  them  a  chance  to  correct  these  faults,  and  awake 
the  class  spirit  in  this  direction.  It  will  not  be  diffi- 
cult to  convince  them  that  they  are  not  pronouncing 
their  final  consonants,  like  d,  /,  /,  m,  r,  and  k.  Keep 
the  attention  for  a  lesson  to  this  kind  of  error  till 
there  is  recognizable  improvement.  Then  notice 
the  short  vowel  sounds  in  the  unaccented  syllables, 
and  give  them  search-light  attention.  Notice  later 
the  syllables  that  children  commonly  slur  over. 
Mark  these  fugitives,  and  see  if  they  continue  so 
invisible  and  inaudible.  They  are  like  Jack  the 
Giant  Killer,  when  he  put  on  his  cloak  of  invisi- 
bility, or  like  Perseus  under  similar  circumstances. 
See  if  we  can  find  these  fellows  who  seem  to  mas- 
querade and  dodge  about  behind  their  companions. 
Then  some  of  the  long  vowels  and  diphthongs  will 
require  investigation.  They  are  not  all  so  open- 
faced  and  above  board  as  they  might  be.  When 
children  have  such  a  simple  and  distinct  aim  in 
view,  they  are  ready  to  work  with  a  vim  and  to 
exert  themselves  in  a  conscious  effort  at  improve- 
ment. Keep  this  aim  foremost  in  the  recitation, 
although  other  requirements  of  good  reading  are 
not  wholly  neglected. 

After  a  definite  line  of  effort  has  been  strongly 
developed  as  one  of  the  above  described,  it  is  pos- 
sible thereafter  to  keep  it  in  mind  with  slight  atten- 
tion. But  if  no  special  drill  has  ever  been  devoted 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING  121 

to  it  for  a  given  length  of  time,  it  has  not  been 
brought  so  distinctly  to  mind  as  to  produce  a  lasting 
impression  and  to  lay  the  basis  for  habit.  Besides 
the  two  aims,  clear  articulation  and  conversational 
tones,  there  are  others  that  may  be  labored  at  simi- 
larly. Appreciation  of  the  thought  as  expressed  by 
the  reading  is  a  rich  field  for  critical  study  of  a  piece, 
and  as  a  basis  for  observing  and  judging  the  chil- 
dren's reading.  This  idea  is  well  implied  by  such 
questions  as  follow:  Is  that  what  the  passage 
means?  Have  you  given  expression  to  the  author's 
meaning  by  emphasis  on  this  word  ?  Does  your 
rendering  of  this  passage  make  good  sense  ?  Com- 
pare it  with  what  precedes.  How  did  the  man  feel 
when  he  said  this  ?  What  do  we  know  of  his  char- 
acter that  would  lead  us  to  expect  such  words  from 
him  ?  This  line  of  questions  has  a  wide  and  varied 
range.  The  chief  thing  is  to  scrutinize  the  thought 
in  all  the  light  attainable,  and  appeal  to  the  child's 
own  judgment  as  to  the  suitableness  of  the  tone  and 
emphasis  to  the  thought.  Does  it  sound  right?  Is 
that  what  the  passage  means  ? 

Each  characteristic  form  of  prose  or  verse  has  a 
peculiar  style  and  force  of  expression  that  calls  for  a 
corresponding  oral  rendering.  There  is  the  serious 
and  massive,  though  simple,  diction  of  Webster's 
speeches,  with  its  smooth  and  rounded  periods,  call- 
ing for  slow  and  steady  and  energetic  reading.  We 
should  notice  this  characteristic  of  an  author,  and 


122  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

grow  into  sympathy  with  his  feeling,  language,  and 
mental  movement.  In  Macaulay's  "  Lays  of  Ancient 
Rome,"  the  ring  of  martial  music  is  in  the  words,  and 
it  swells  out  into  rapid  and  rousing  speech  which 
should  correspond  to  the  thought.  In  "  Evangeline  " 
the  flow  of  language  is  placid  and  gentle  and  rhyth- 
mical, and  in  consonance  with  the  gentle  faith  and 
hope  of  Evangeline.  Every  true  literary  product 
has  its  own  character,  which  the  genius  of  the  author 
has  impressed  upon  its  language  and  moulded  into 
its  structure,  and  which  calls  for  a  rendering  fit  and 
appropriate.  Before  completing  a  selection,  we 
should  detect  this  essence  and  quality  and  bring  our 
reading  to  reveal  it.  The  places  should  be  pointed 
out  where  it  comes  into  prominence. 

When  completing  such  a  work  of  art  there  should 
be  given  opportunity  to  bring  all  the  varied  elements 
and  special  aims  discovered  and  worked  out  during 
its  reading  to  a  focus. 

In  the  final  review  and  rereading  of  a  complete 
poem  or  prose  selection  the  points  of  excellence  in 
,  reading  which  have  been  the  special  aims  of  effort 
in  the  studies  of  the  piece  should  be  kept  sharply  in 
mind  and  pushed  to  a  full  expression.  The  realiza- 
tion of  these  various  aims  may  be  set  before  the 
class  as  the  distinct  object  of  their  closing  work  on  a 
masterpiece.  The  failure  to  hold  vigorously  to  this 
final  achievement  is  a  clear  sign  of  intellectual  and 
moral  lassitude.  Reading,  as  noticed  before,  is 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING  123 

one  of  the  few  studies  in  which  the  final  application 
of  theory  to  practice  can  be  effected,  and  children 
may  realize  that  things  are  learned  for  the  sake  of 
using  them,  and  not  simply  against  some  future  con- 
tingency. This  implies,  however,  much  resource 
and  skill  on  the  teacher's  part  in  awakening  the  chil- 
dren. The  impulses  and  aims  which  arouse  the 
children  to  strenuous  effort  should  spring  from 
within,  and  should  be  expressions  of  their  own  self- 
activity  and  volition.  There  is  much  need  of  the 
enthusiasm  and  will-energy  that  overcome  drudgery. 
Children  should  be  taught  to  be  dissatisfied  with  any- 
thing less  than  real  accomplishment. 

The  children  will  naturally  memorize  certain  pas- 
sages which  strike  their  fancy.  Other  passages 
have  been  suggested  by  the  teacher  for  different 
pupils  to  memorize.  In  one  of  the  closing  lessons 
let  the  children  recite  these  parts  before  the  class. 
If  the  teacher  has  succeeded  in  calling  out  the  live 
interest  of  the  class  during  the  previous  study,  such 
a  lesson  will  be  a  joy  to  both  pupils  and  teacher. 
One  or  two  of  the  children  may  also  volunteer  or  be 
appointed  to  make  an  oral  statement  of  the  argu- 
ment, which  will  give  freedom  to  natural  and  effec- 
tive speech.  Such  a  round-up  of  the  reading  lessons 
at  the  end  of  a  series  of  interesting  studies  is  a 
rich  experience  to  the  whole  class. 

Besides  the  important  special  aims  thus  far  sug- 
gested, which  should  each  stand  out  clear  for  a 


124  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

series  of  lessons  until  its  value  is  realized  and  worked 
over  into  habit,  there  are  other  subordinate  aims  that 
deserve  particular  and  individual  consideration,  and 
may  now  and  then  become  the  dominant  purpose  of 
a  lesson.  Such  are  the  correction  of  singsong  read- 
ing, the  use  of  the  dictionary,  the  study  of  synonyms 
and  antitheses,  the  comparisons  and  figures  of  speech, 
exercises  in  sight  reading  of  unfamiliar  selections, 
quotations  from  selections  and  masterpieces  already 
read,  study  of  the  lives  and  works  of  authors. 

Reading  is  a  many-sided  study,  and  to  approach 
its  difficulties  with  success  we  must  take  them  up  one 
at  a  time,  conquering  them  in  detail.  Good  house- 
keepers and  cooks  are  accustomed  to  lay  out  a  series 
of  dinners  in  which  the  chief  article  of  diet  is  varied 
from  day  to  day  as  follows  :  chicken  pie  with  oysters, 
veal  potpie,  stewed  fish,  broiled  beefsteak,  venison 
roast,  bean  soup  with  ham,  roast  mutton,  baked  fish, 
broiled  quail,  roast  beef,  baked  chicken  with  parsnips, 
etc.  Such  a  series  of  dinners  gives  a  healthy  variety 
and  relish.  It  is  better  for  most  people  than  the  bill 
of  fare  at  a  large  hotel,  where  there  is  so  much 
variety  and  sameness  each  day.  When  we  try  each 
day  to  do  everything  in  a  reading  lesson,  we  grasp 
more  than  our  hands  can  hold,  and  most  of  it  falls  to 
the  ground.  Children  are  pleased  and  encouraged 
by  actual  progress  in  surmounting  difficulties  when 
they  are  presented  one  at  a  time,  and  opportunity  is 
given  for  complete  mastery.  The  children  should 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING  12$ 

labor  consciously  and  vigorously  at  one  line  of  effort, 
be  it  distinctness  or  rhythm  or  emphasis  or  conversa- 
tional tone,  till  decided  improvement  and  progress  are 
attained,  and  the  ease  of  right  habit  begins  to  show 
itself.  Then  we  can  turn  to  some  new  field,  secur- 
ing and  holding  the  vantage-ground  of  our  foregoing 
effort  by  occasional  reminders. 

9.  One  of  the  best  tests  applied  to  a  reading  class 
is  their  degree  of  class  attention.  The  steadiness 
and  responsiveness  with  which  the  whole  class  fol- 
low the  work  is  a  fair  measure  of  successful  teach- 
ing. To  have  but  one  child  read  at  a  time  while  the 
others  wait  their  turn  or  scatter  their  thoughts,  is 
very  bad.  It  is  a  good  sign  of  a  teacher's  skill  and 
efficiency  to  see  every  child  in  energetic  pursuit  of 
the  reading.  It  conduces  to  the  best  progress  in 
that  study  and  is  the  genesis  of  right  mental  habit. 

Attention  is  a  sine  qua  non  to  good  teaching,  and 
yet  it  is  a  result  rather  than  a  cause.  It  is  a  ripe 
fruit  rather  than  the  spring  promise  of  it.  The  pro- 
visions which  lead  up  to  steady  attention  are  deserv- 
ing of  a  teacher's  study  and  patient  scrutiny.  She 
may  command  attention  for  a  moment  by  sheer  force 
of  will  and  personality,  but  it  must  have  something 
to  feed  upon  the  next  moment  and  the  next,  or  it  will 
be  wandering  in  distant  fields.  So  great  and  indis- 
pensable is  the  value  of  attention,  that  some  teachers 
try  to  secure  it  at  too  heavy  a  cost.  They  command, 
threaten,  punish.  They  resort  to  severity  and 


126  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

cruelty.  But  the  more  formidable  the  teacher  be- 
comes, the  more  difficult  for  a  child  to  do  his  duty. 
Here,  again,  we  can  best  afford  to  go  back  to  the 
sources  from  which  attention  naturally  springs, 
interesting  subject  of  thought,  vivid  and  concrete 
perceptions,  lively  and  suggestive  appeal  to  the  im- 
agination, the  sphere  of  noble  thought  and  emotion, 
variety  and  movement  in  mental  effort,  a  mutual 
sympathy  and  harmony  between  teacher  and  pupil. 

It  is  indeed  well  for  the  teacher  to  gauge  his  work 
by  the  kind  and  intensity  of  attention  he  can  secure. 
If  the  class  has  dropped  into  slothful  and  habitual 
carelessness  and  inattention,  he  will  have  to  give  them 
a  few  severe  jolts ;  he  must  drop  questions  where 
they  are  least  expected.  He  must  be  very  alert  to 
detect  a  listless  child  and  wake  him  into  action.  The 
vigor,  personal  will,  and  keen  watchfulness  of  the 
teacher  must  be  a  constant  resource.  On  the  other 
hand,  let  him  look  well  to  the  thought,  the  feeling, 
and  capacity  of  the  children,  and  give  them  matter 
which  is  equal  to  their  merits. 

It  is  not  unusual  to  find  the  teacher's  eye  following 
the  text  closely  instead  of  watching  the  class.  But 
the  teacher's  eye  should  be  moving  alertly  among  the 
children.  In  case  he  has  studied  the  lesson  carefully, 
the  teacher  can  detect  almost  every  mistake  without 
the  book.  In  fact,  even  if  one  has  not  recently  read 
a  selection,  he  can  usually  detect  a  verbal  error  by 
the  break  or  incoherency  of  the  thought.  Moreover, 


CLASS-ROOM   METHOD    IN   READING 

the  teacher  can  better  judge  the  expressiveness  of  the 
reading  by  listening  to  it  than  by  following  the  text 
with  his  eye.  Depending  wholly  upon  the  ear,  any 
defect  of  utterance  or  ineptness  of  expression  is 
quickly  detected.  Even  the  children  at  times  should 
be  asked  to  close  their  books  and  to  listen  closely  to 
the  reading.  This  emphasizes  the  notion  that  good 
reading  is  the  oral  expression  of  thought,  so  that 
those  who  listen  can  understand  and  enjoy  it. 

The  treadmill  style  of  reading,  which  repeats  and 
repeats,  doing  the  same  things  day  by  day,  going 
through  the  like  round  of  mechanical  motions,  should 
give  way  to  a  rational,  spirited,  variegated  method 
which  arouses  interest  and  variety  of  thought,  and 
moves  ever  toward  a  conscious  goal. 

10.  In  studying  the  masterpieces  of  great  writers, 
a  question  arises  how  to  treat  the  moral  situations  in- 
volved in  the  stories.  In  their  revolt  against  exces- 
sive moralizing  with  children,  some  critics  object  to 
any  direct  teaching  of  moral  ideas  in  connection  with 
literature,  being  opposed  to  explicit  discussions  of 
moral  notions. 

All  will  admit  that  literature,  dealing  as  it  does 
with  human  life,  is  surcharged  with  practical  moral- 
ity, with  social  conduct.  It  is  also  the  motive  of  great 
writers,  while  dealing  honestly  with  human  nature,  to 
idealize  and  beautify  their  representations  of  men. 
Nor  is  it  their  purpose  to  make  unworthy  characters 
pleasing  and  attractive  models. 


128  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

It  is  expected,  of  course,  that  children  will  get 
clear  notions  and  opinions  of  such  persons  as  Miles 
Standish  and  John  Alden,  of  Whittier's  father  and 
mother  and  others  in  the  fireside  circle  of  "  Snow- 
Bound,"  of  Antonio  and  Shylock  in  the  "  Merchant  of 
Venice,"  of  Cinderella  and  her  sisters  in  the  story,  of 
Wallace  and  Bruce  in  Scott's  "Tales,"  of  Gluck  and 
his  brothers  in  Ruskin's  story,  of  Scrooge  in  the 
"  Christmas  Carol,"  of  Evangeline,  Enoch  Arden,  etc. 

But  boys  and  girls  are  not  infallible  judges  of 
character.  They  are  apt  to  form  erroneous  or  one- 
sided judgments  from  lack  of  insight  into  the  author's 
meaning,  or  from  carelessness.  There  is  the  same 
possibility  of  error  in  forming  moral  judgments  as 
in  forming  judgments  in  other  phases  of  an  author's 
thought. 

It  is  the  province  of  the  teacher  to  stimulate  the 
children  to  think,  and,  by  his  superior  experience  and 
judgment,  to  guide  them  into  correct  thinking.  It 
is  not  the  function  of  the  teacher  to  impose  his  ready- 
made  judgments  upon  children,  either  in  morals  or 
in  anything  else.  But  it  is  his  concern,  by  questions, 
suggestions,  and  criticisms,  to  aid  in  clarifying  the 
thought,  to  put  the  children  upon  the  right  track. 
There  is  no  reason  why  a  teacher  should  abdicate  his 
place  of  instructor  because  he  chances  to  come  be- 
fore moral  problems.  Literature  is  full  of  moral 
situations,  moral  problems,  and  moral  evolutions  in 
character,  and  even  of  moral  ideals.  Is  the  teacher 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN    READING 

to  stand  dumb  before  these  things  as  if  he  had  lost 
his  wits  ?  Or  is  he  to  consider  it  the  greatest  oppor- 
tunity of  his  life  to  prudently  guide  young  people 
to  the  correct  perception  of  what  is  beautiful  and 
true  in  human  life  ?  Why,  indeed,  should  he  sup- 
press his  own  enthusiasm  for  these  ideals  ?  Why* 
should  not  his  personality  be  free  to  express  itself 
in  matters  of  moral  concern,  as  well  as  in  intellectual 
and  aesthetic  judgments  ?  So  long  as  the  teacher 
throws  the  pupils  back  upon  their  own  self-activity 
and  thinking  power,  there  need  be  no  danger  of 
moral  pedantry  or  of  moral  dyspepsia. 

It  seems  to  me,  therefore,  that  the  teacher  should 
use  freedom  and  boldness  in  discussing  with  the 
children  candidly  and  thoughtfully  the  characters 
presented  in  good  literature.  Let  the  situations  be 
made  clear  so  that  correct  judgments  of  single  acts 
can  be  formed.  Let  the  weaknesses  and  virtues  of 
the  persons  be  noted.  Let  motives  be  studied  and 
characteristic  tendencies  traced  out.  In  this  way 
children  may  gradually  increase  their  insight  and 
enlarge  the  range  of  their  knowledge  of  social  life. 
If  these  things  are  not  legitimate,  why  should  such 
materials  be  presented  to  children  at  all  ?  We  need 
not  make  premature  moralists  of  children,  or  teach 
them  to  pass  easy  or  flippant  moral  judgments  upon 
others.  But  we  wish  their  interest  in  these  charac- 
ters to  be  deep  and  genuine,  their  eyes  wide  open 
to  the  truths  of  life,  and  their  intuitive  moral  judg- 


I3O  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

ments  to  ripen  in  a  healthy  and  hearty  social  environ- 
ment. To  this  end  the  teacher  will  need  to  use  all 
his  skill  in  questioning,  in  suggestion,  in  frank  and 
candid  discussion.  In  short,  he  needs  just  those 
qualities  which  a  first-class  teacher  needs  in  any 
field  of  study. 

We  have  gotten  out  of  the  mode  of  tacking  a 
moral  to  a  story.  Ostensibly  moral  stories,  over- 
weighted with  a  moral  purpose,  do  not  please  us. 
We  wish  novelists  and  dramatists  to  give  us  the 
truth  of  life,  and  leave  us  to  pass  judgment  upon 
the  characters.  Our  best  literature  presents  great 
variety  of  scenes  and  characterizations  in  their 
natural  setting  in  life.  They  specially  cultivate 
moral  judgment  and  insight.  One  of  the  ultimate 
standards  which  we  apply  to  all  novels  and  dramas 
is  that  of  their  fundamental  moral  truth.  Schlegel, 
in  his  "  Dramatic  Art  and  Literature,"  in  his  criti- 
cisms of  great  writers,  discusses  again  and  again 
the  moral  import  of  the  characters,  and  even  the 
moral  purpose  of  Shakespeare  and  the  dramatists. 
In  fact,  these  moral  considerations  lie  deep  and  fun- 
damental in  judging  the  great  works  of  literary  art. 
The  masterpieces  we  use  in  the  schools  bear  the 
same  relation  to  the  children  that  the  more  difficult 
works  bear  to  adults. 

The  clear  discussion  of  the  moral  element  in  litera- 
ture seems,  therefore,  natural  and  legitimate,  while 
its  neglect  and  obscuration  would  be  a  fatal  defect. 


CLASS-ROOM   METHOD   IN   READING  131 

II.  There  are  two  kinds  of  reading  which  should 
be  cultivated  in  reading  lessons,  although  they  seem 
to  fall  a  little  apart  from  the  main  highway  of  effort. 
They  are,  first,  sight  reading  of  supplementary  matter 
for  the  purpose  of  cultivating  a  quick  and  accurate 
grasp  of  new  thought  and  forms.  When  we  leave 
school,  one  of  the  values  of  reading  will  be  the  power 
it  gives  to  interpret  quickly  and  grasp  firmly  the 
ideas  as  they  present  themselves  in  the  magazines, 
papers,  and  books  we  read.  Good  efforts  in  school 
reading  will  lead  forward  gradually  to  that  readiness 
of  thought  and  fluency  of  perception  which  will  give 
freedom  and  mastery  of  new  reading  matter.  To 
develop  this  ability  and  to  regulate  it  into  habit,  we 
must  give  children  a  chance  to  read  quite  a  little 
at  sight.  We  need  supplementary  readers  in  sets 
which  can  be  put  into  the  hands  of  children  for  this 
purpose.  The  same  books  will  answer  for  several 
classes,  and  may  be  passed  from  room  to  room  of 
similar  grade. 

The  reading  matter  we  select  for  this  purpose 
may  be  classic,  and  of  the  best  quality,  just  as  well 
as  to  be  limited  to  information  and  geographical 
readers  which  are  much  inferior.  There  are  first- 
class  books  of  literary  merit,  which  are  entirely  ser- 
viceable for  this  purpose  and  much  richer  in  culture. 
They  continue  the  line  of  study  in  classic  literature, 
and  give  ground  for  suggestive  comparisons  and 
reviews  which  should  not  be  neglected.  There  is 


,  UNIVERSITY  I 

OF  7 


132  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

a  strong  tendency  in  our  time  to  put  inferior  reading 
matter,  in  the  form  of  information  readers,  science 
primers,  short  history  stories,  geographical  readers, 
newspapers,  and  specially  prepared  topics  on  current 
events,  into  reading  classes.  These  things  may  do 
well  enough  in  their  proper  place  in  geography,  his- 
tory, natural  science,  or  general  lessons,  but  they 
should  appear  scarcely  at  all  in  reading  lessons. 
Preserve  the  reading  hour  for  that  which  is  choicest 
in  our  prose  and  verse,  mainly  in  the  form  of  shorter 
or  longer  masterpieces  of  literature. 

Secondly,  many  books  should  be  brought  to  the 
attention  of  the  children  which  they  may  read  outside 
of  school.  The  regular  reading  exercises  should  give 
the  children  a  lively  and  attractive  introduction  to  some 
of  the  best  authors,  and  a  taste  for  the  strength  and 
beauty  of  their  productions.  But  the  field  of  litera- 
ture is  so  wide  and  varied  that  many  things  can  only 
be  suggested,  which  will  remain  for  the  future  leisure 
and  choice  of  readers.  Children  might,  however, 
be  made  acquainted  with  some  of  the  best  books 
suited  to  their  age  for  which  there  is  not  school  time. 
Many  of  the  best  books,  like  "  Ivanhoe,"  "Quentin 
Durward,"  "  Captains  Courageous,"  "  Swiss  Family 
Robinson,"  and  "Nicholas  Nickleby,"  cannot  be  read 
in  school.  They  should  be  in  the  school  library,  and 
the  teacher  should  often  refer  to  them  and  to  others 
suggested  by  the  regular  reading,  which  give  deeper 
and  wider  views  into  life. 


CLASS-ROOM    METHOD    IN   READING  133 

12.  In  the  use  of  the  symbols  and  language  forms 
of  reading,  the  children  should  be  led  on  to  freedom 
and  self-activity.  How  to  get  the  mastery  of 
these  forms  in  the  early  reading  work  is  discussed 
in  the  "  Special  Method  in  Primary  Reading  and 
Story." 

In  the  fourth  and  fifth  years  of  school,  children 
should  learn  to  use  the  dictionary.  It  is  a  great 
means  of  self-help  when  they  have  learned  to  inter- 
pret the  dictionary  easily.  But  special  lessons  are 
necessary  to  teach  children :  first,  how  to  find  words 
in  the  dictionary ;  second,  how  to  interpret  the 
diacritical  markings  so  as  to  get  a  correct  pronuncia- 
tion; and  third,  how  to  discriminate  among  definitions. 
Adults  and  even  teachers  are  often  deficient  in  these 
particulars,  and  children  will  not  form  habits  of  using 
the  dictionary  with  quick  and  easy  confidence  with- 
out continuous,  attentive  care  on  the  teacher's  part. 
The  best  outcome  of  such  training  is  the  conscious 
power  of  the  child  to  help  himself,  and  there  is 
nothing  in  school  work  more  deserving  of  encourage- 
ment. 

The  system  of  diacritical  markings  used  in  the 
dictionary  should  be  put  on  the  blackboard,  varied 
illustrations  of  the  markings  given,  and  the  applica- 
tion of  these  markings  to  new  words  in  the  dictionary 
discovered.  Lack  of  success  in  this  work  is  chiefly 
due  to  a  failure  to  pursue  this  plan  steadily  till  ease 
and  mastery  are  gained  and  habits  formed. 


134  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

In  the  later  grades  these  habits  of  self-help  should 
be  kept  up  and  extended  further  to  the  study  of 
synonyms,  root  words  and  their  kindred,  homonyms, 
prefixes  and  suffixes,  and  the  derived  meanings  of 
words. 


CHAPTER  V 

METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND    ILLUSTRATED. 
SUMMARY 

IN  the  following  chapter  some  phases  of  method 
not  fully  treated  before  will  be  discussed  and  illus- 
trated. 

i.  The  proposal  to  treat  literary  masterpieces  as 
units  of  thought  implies  a  searching  study  and  sifting 
out  of  the  essential  idea 'in  each  poem  or  selection. 
In  some,  both  of  the  longer  and  shorter  pieces,  it  is 
not  difficult  to  detect  the  motive.  In  Bryant's  "  Ode 
to  a  Waterfowl,"  it  is  even  suggested  as  a  sort  of 
moral  at  the  close.  Likewise  in  the  "  Pied  Piper  of 
Hamelin,"  and  in  Burns's  "Tarn  O'Shanter."  In 
"  Glaucis  and  Philemon,"  as  well  as  in  "  The  Golden 
Touch,"  even  a  child  can  quickly  discern  the  con- 
trolling idea  of  the  myth.  But  in  many  of  our 
choicest  literary  products  it  requires  deliberate 
thought  to  discover  the  poet's  deeper  meaning, 
especially  that  idea  which  binds  all  the  parts  together 
and  gives  unity  to  the  whole.  In  Lowell's  address 
"  To  the  Dandelion,"  we  may  find  in  each  stanza  the 
gleam  of  the  golden  thread  which  unifies  the  whole. 
The  first  lines  suggest  it :  — 


136  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

"  Dear  common  flower,  that  grow'st  beside  the  way, 
Fringing  the  dusty  road  with  harmless  gold.1' 

And  again  in  the  second  stanza :  — 

"  'Tis  the  Spring's  largess  which  she  scatters  now 
To  rich  and  poor  alike,  with  lavish  hand." 

In  the  succeeding  stanzas  he  calls  to  mind  how  the 
dandelion  suggests  the  riches  of  the  tropics,  the  full 
promise  of  summer,  the  pure  joys  of  childhood,  the 
common  loving  courtesies  of  life,  the  rich  love  and 
prodigality  of  nature,  and  the  divinity  in  every  human 
heart. 

When  by  reflection  we  bind  all  these  thoughts 
together,  and  find  that  they  focus  in  the  idea  that 
the  best  riches  abound  and  even  burst  forth  out  of 
common  things  and  from  the  hearts  of  common  men 
and  women,  we  realize  that  the  poet  has  brought 
us  to  the  point  of  discovering  a  deep  and  practical 
truth,  which,  put  to  work  in  the  world,  would  bring 
rhythm  and  harmony  into  human  life. 

But  such  a  deep  impression  is  not  made  by  a 
superficial  or  fragmental  study  of  the  poem. 

A  somewhat  similar  result  may  be  wrought  out 
by  the  study  of  Lowell's  poem,  "  An  Incident  in  a 
Railroad  Car/'  and  the  idea  is  well  expressed  in  the 
verse :  — 

"  Never  did  poesy  appear 
So  full  of  heaven  to  me  as  when 
I  saw  how  it  would  pierce  through  pride  and  fear 
To  lives  of  coarsest  men." 


METHOD    FURTHER    DISCUSSED    AND    ILLUSTRATED     137 

The  study  of  a  poem  or  other  masterpiece  in  this 
way,  to  get  at  its  inner  life  and  continuity,  reveals  to 
us  an  interesting  process  of  mental  elaboration  and 
comparative  thought.  Such  self-active  reflection  is 
the  subsoiling  of  the  mind. 

To  set  children  to  work  upon  problems  of  this 
sort,  to  put  them  in  the  way  of  thinking  and  feeling 
for  themselves,  and  that  too  even  in  the  longer  clas- 
sics like  "  Evangeline,"  "Enoch  Arden,"  "Silas 
Marner,"  etc.,  is  to  bring  such  studies  into  the 
realm  of  great  culture-producing  agencies. 

Many  minor  questions  of  method  will  be  solved  by 
having  these  centres  of  thought,  these  problems  for 
thinkers.  Teachers  are  bothered  to  know  what  sort 
of  questions  to  ask.  It  would  be  safe  to  say,  those 
questions  which  move  in  the  direction  of  the  main 
truth,  toward  the  solution  of  the  chief  problem. 
But  let  the  questions  be  shrewd,  not  revealing  too 
much,  stimulating  to  thoughtfulness  and  heading 
off  errors.  To  what  extent  shall  geographical, 
historical,  or  biographical  facts  be  gathered  for  the 
enrichment  and  clarifying  of  the  poem  ?  Those 
materials  which  throw  necessary  light  on  the  essen- 
tial ideas,  omitting  what  is  irrelevant  and  secondary. 

A  careful  study  of  the  life  of  Alexander,  by 
Plutarch,  will  bring  to  light,  more  than  anything 
else,  his  magnanimity.  The  thing  that  so  much 
distinguished  him  from  other  men  was  his  large, 
liberal  temper,  displayed  on  many  various  occasions. 


138  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

It  reminds  the  mature  student  of  that  remarkable 
utterance  of  Burke,  "  Great  affairs  and  little  minds 
go  ill  together."  The  large-minded  statesmanship 
with  which  Burke  discusses  conciliation  with  the 
colonies  is  of  like  quality  with  this  magnanimous 
spirit  of  Alexander. 

One  who  reads  receptively  Emerson's  "The  For- 
tune of  the  Republic "  will  open  his  eyes  on  two 
opposite  but  closely  related  ideas,  the  serious  faults,  — 
the  low  political  tone,  the  materialism,  the  spread- 
eagle  strut  and  slovenly  mediocrity  of  much  in  Ameri- 
can life,  —  and  over  against  this  the  splendid  promise, 
manliness,  and  intense  idealism  of  our  national  life. 
To  work  out  this  conception  in  the  brains  of  young 
people  and  let  it  kindle  their  hearts  with  some  true 
glow  of  patriotism,  is  the  highest  form  of  teaching. 
Such  instruction  would  convert  every  schoolhouse 
into  a  true  temple  of  freedom  and  patriotism. 

But  in  order  to  reach  these  results  both  teachers 
and  pupils  must  put  their  minds  to  the  stretch  of 
earnest  work.  In  the  introduction  to  the  above- 
named  essay  of  Emerson,  in  the  "  Riverside  Litera- 
ture Series,"  occurs  the  following  interesting  and 
suggestive  passage :  "  Yet  many  of  his  most  notable 
addresses  were  given  before  audiences  of  young  men 
and  women,  and  out  of  the  great  body  of  his  writings 
it  is  not  difficult  to  find  many  passages  which  go 
straight  to  the  intelligence  of  boys  and  girls  in 
school.  The  plan  of  this  series  forbids  the  use  of 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND   ILLUSTRATED      I3Q 

extracts,  or  many  numbers  might  be  filled  with  strik- 
ing and  appropriate  passages  from  Emerson's  writ- 
ings; but  there  are  certain  essays  and  addresses 
which,  though  they  may  contain  some  knotty  sen- 
tences, are  in  the  main  so  interesting  to  boys  and 
girls  who  have  begun  to  think,  they  are  so  inspiring 
and  yield  so  much  to  any  one  who  will  take  a  little 
trouble  to  use  his  mind,  that  it  is  obviously  desirable 
to  bring  them  in  convenient  form  to  the  attention 
of  schools.  Some  of  the  best  things  in  literature  we 
can  get  only  by  digging  for  them ;  and  there  is  great 
satisfaction  in  reading  again  and  again  masterpieces 
like  the  essays  in  this  collection,  with  a  fresh 
pleasure  in  each  reading  as  new  ideas  spring  up  in 
the  mind  of  the  attentive  reader." 

It  will  be  a  day  rich  in  promise  and  fruitful  of 
great  things  when  the  general  body  of  our  teachers 
take  hold  of  our  great  American  classics  in  this 
determined  spirit,  treating  them  as  wholes  and  grasp- 
ing firmly  the  essential  fundamental  ideas. 

2.  It  is  in  the  thought-analysis  of  a  reading  lesson 
that  a  teacher's  wit  and  wisdom  are  brought  to  the 
severest  test.  The  words  of  Shakespeare  may  be 
applied  to  the  teacher :  — 

"  A  prince  most  prudent,  of  an  excellent 
And  unmatched  wit  and  judgment." 

There  is  much  danger  of  wasting  time  in  formal 
questions,  questions  striking  no  spark  of  interest, 


I4O  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

questions  on  familiar  words  that  really  need  no 
elucidation,  vague  and  unpremeditated  questions  that 
make  no  forward  step.  Simple,  far-reaching  ques- 
tions, which  touch  the  pupils'  deeper  thoughtfulness 
in  preparing  the  lesson  and  stimulate  his  self-active 
effort,  are  needed.  If  the  teacher  has  become  keenly 
interested,  he  will  ask  more  telling  questions.  If  he 
has  probed  into  the  author's  secret,  —  the  thing  which 
he  has  been  hinting  at  and  only  gives  occasional 
glimpses  of  to  whet  your  curiosity,  —  he  will  dis- 
cover that  thought-getting  is  almost  a  tantalizing 
process  with  great  writers.  The  teacher  must  spur 
and  almost  tantalize  the  children  with  a  similar 
shrewdness  of  question. 

Problem-raising  questions,  involving  thoughtful 
retrospect  and  shrewd  anticipation,  questions  which 
cannot  be  answered  offhand  but  lead  on  to  a  deeper 
study,  are  at  a  premium.  Ruskin  says  :  — 

"  And,  therefore,  first  of  all,  I  tell  you  earnestly 
and  authoritatively  (I  know  I  am  right  in  this),  you 
must  get  into  the  habit  of  looking  intensely  at 
words  and  assuring  yourself  of  their  meaning,  syl- 
lable by  syllable, — nay,  letter  by  letter."  Again 
he  says,  of  a  well-educated  gentleman,  that  "above 
all  he  is  learned  in  the  peerage  of  words;  knows 
the  words  of  true  descent  and  ancient  blood  at  a 
glance  from  words  of  modern  canaille." 

In  order  to  make  his  thought  unmistakable,  I 
quote  at  length  a  passage  from  Ruskin's  "  Sesame 
and  Lilies":  — 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND    ILLUSTRATED     14! 

"  And  now,  merely  for  example's  sake,  I  will,  with 
your  permission,  read  a  few  lines  of  a  true  book  with 
you,  carefully ;  and  see  what  will  come  out  of  them. 
I  will  take  a  book  perfectly  known  to  you  all ;  no 
English  words  are  more  familiar  to  us,  yet  nothing 
perhaps  has  been  less  read  with  sincerity.  I  will 
take  these  few  following  lines  of  '  Lycidas ' :  — 

" '  Last  came,  and  last  did  go, 
The  pilot  of  the  Galilean  lake ; 
Two  massy  keys  he  bore  of  metals  twain, 
(The  golden  opes,  the  iron  shuts  amain), 
He  shook  his  mitred  locks,  and  stern  bespake, 
How  well  could  I  have  spar'd  for  thee,  young  swain, 
Enow  of  such  as  for  their  bellies'  sake 
Creep  and  intrude,  and  climb  into  the  fold  : 
Of  other  care  they  little  reckoning  make, 
Than  how  to;  scramble  at  the  shearers1  feast, 
And  shove  away  the  worthy  bidden  guest ; 
Blind  mouths  !  that  scarce  themselves  know  how  to  hold 
A  sheep-hook,  or  have  learned  aught  else,  the  least 
That  to  the  faithful  herdsman's  art  belongs  ! 
What  recks  it  them  ?    What  need  they?    They  are  sped ; 
And  when  they  list,  their  lean  and  flashy  songs 
Grate  on  their  scrannel  pipes  of  wretched  straw  ; 
The  hungry  sheep  look  up,  and  are  not  fed, 
But,  swoln  with  wind,  and  the  rank  mist  they  draw, 
Rot  inwardly,  and  foul  contagion  spread ; 
Besides  what  the  grim  wolf  with  privy  paw 
Daily  devours  apace,  and  nothing  said.1 

"  Let  us  think  over  this  passage,  and  examine  its 
words. 

"  First,  is  it  not  singular  to  find  Milton  assigning 


142  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

to  St.  Peter,  not  only  his  full  episcopal  function, 
but  the  very  types  of  it  which  Protestants  usually 
refuse  most  passionately  ?  His  *  mitred '  locks  !  Mil- 
ton was  no  Bishop-lover ;  how  comes  St.  Peter  to  be 
4  mitred '  ?  '  Two  massy  keys  he  bore.'  Is  this, 
then,  the  power  of  the  keys  claimed  by  the  Bishops 
of  Rome,  and '  is  it  acknowledged  here  by  Milton 
only  in  a  poetical  license,  for  the  sake  of  its  pictur- 
esqueness ;  that  he  may  get  the  gleam  of  the  golden 
keys  to  help  his  effect?  Do  not  think  it.  Great 
men  do  not  play  stage  tricks  with  doctrines  of 
life  and  death :  only  little  men  do  that.  Milton 
means  what  he  says ;  and  means  it  with  his  might, 
too, —  is  going  to  put  the  whole  strength  of  his 
spirit  presently  into  the  saying  of  it.  For  though 
not  a  lover  of  false  bishops,  he  was  I  lover  of  true 
ones ;  and  the  lake-pilot  is  here,  in  his  thoughts, 
the  type  and  head  of  true  episcopal  power.  For 
Milton  reads  that  text,  '  I  will  give  unto  thee  the 
keys  of  the  kingdom  of  Heaven,'  quite  honestly. 
Puritan  though  he  be,  he  would  not  blot  it  out  of 
the  book  because  there  have  been  bad  bishops ; 
nay,  in  order  to  understand  him,  we  must  understand 
that  verse  first;  it  will  not  do  to  eye  it  askance, 
or  whisper  it  under  our  breath,  as  if  it  were  a 
weapon  of  an  adverse  sect.  It  is  a  solemn,  uni- 
versal assertion,  deeply  to  be  kept  in  mind  by  all 
sects.  But  perhaps  we  shall  be  better  able  to  reason 
on  it  if  we  go  on  a  little  farther,  and  come  back  to  it. 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED    AND    ILLUSTRATED      143 

For  clearly,  this  marked  insistence  on  the  power  of 
the  true  episcopate  is  to  make  us  feel  more  weightily 
what  is  to  be  charged  against  the  false  claimants 
of  episcopate;  or  generally,  against  false  claimants 
of  power  and  rank  in  the  body  of  the  clergy ;  they 
who,  *  for  their  bellies'  sake,  creep,  and  intrude,  and 
climb  into  the  fold.' 

"  Do  not  think  Milton  uses  those  three  words 
to  fill  up  his  verse,  as  a  loose  writer  would.  He 
needs  all  the  three;  specially  those  three,  and  no 
more  than  those  — '  creep,'  and  '  intrude,'  and 
'  climb ' ;  no  other  words  would  or  could  serve  the 
turn,  and  no  more  could  be  added.  For  they 
exhaustively  comprehend  the  three  classes,  corre- 
spondent to  the  three  characters,  of  men  who  dis- 
honestly seek  ecclesiastical  power.  First,  those 
who  *  creep '  into  the  fold ;  who  do  not  care  for 
office,  nor  name,  but  for  secret  influence,  and  do 
all  things  occultly  and  cunningly,  consenting  to 
any  servility  of  office  or  conduct,  so  only  that 
they  may  intimately  discern,  and  unawares  direct 
the  minds  of  men.  Then  those  who  *  intrude ' 
(thrust,  that  is)  themselves  into  the  fold,  who  by 
natural  insolence  of  heart,  and  stout  eloquence  of 
tongue,  and  fearlessly  perseverant  self-assertion, 
obtain  hearing  and  authority  with  the  common 
crowd.  Lastly,  those  who  '  climb,'  who  by  labor 
and  learning,  both  stout  and  sound,  but  selfishly 
exerted  in  the  cause  of  their  own  ambition,  gain  high 


144  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

dignities   and   authorities,   and  become   '  lords   over 
the  heritage/  though  not  *  ensamples  to  the  flock.' 
"  Now  go  on  :  — 

"  <  Of  other  care  they  little  reckoning  make, 
Than  how  to  scramble  at  the  shearers'  feast. 
Blind  mouths  — ' 

"  I  pause  again,  for  this  is  a  strange  expression ; 
a  broken  metaphor,  one  might  think,  careless  and 
unscholarly. 

"  Not  so  :  its  very  audacity  and  pithiness  are  in- 
tended to  make  us  look  close  at  the  phrase  and 
remember  it.  Those  two  monosyllables  express 
the  precisely  accurate  contraries  of  right  character, 
in  the  two  great  offices  of  the  Church — those  of 
bishop  and  pastor. 

"  A  Bishop  means  a  person  who  sees. 

"  A  Pastor  means  one  who  feeds. 

"  The  most  unbishoply  character  a  man  can  have 
is  therefore  to  be  Blind. 

"  The  most  unpastoral  is,  instead  of  feeding,  to 
want  to  be  fed,  —  to  be  a  Mouth. 

"  Take  the  two  reverses  together,  and  you  have 
*  blind  mouths.'  We  may  advisably  follow  out  this 
idea  a  little.  Nearly  all  the  evils  in  the  Church 
have  arisen  from  bishops  desiring  power  more  than 
light.  They  want  authority,  not  outlook.  Whereas 
their  real  office  is  not  to  rule ;  though  it  may  be 
vigorously  to  exhort  and  rebuke;  it  is  the  king's 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND    ILLUSTRATED     145 

office  to  rule ;  the  bishop's  office  is  to  oversee  the 
flock ;  to  number  it,  sheep  by  sheep ;  to  be  ready 
always  to  give  full  account  of  it.  Now  it  is  clear 
he  cannot  give  account  of  the  souls,  if  he  has  not 
so  much  as  numbered  the  bodies  of  his  flock.  The 
first  thing,  therefore,  that  a  bishop  has  to  do  is  at 
least  to  put  himself  in  a  position  in  which,  at  any 
moment,  he  can  obtain  the  history  from  childhood 
of  every  living  soul  in  his  diocese,  and  of  its  pres- 
ent state.  Down  in  that  back  street,  Bill,  and 
Nancy,  knocking  each  other's  teeth  out !  —  Does  the 
bishop  know  all  about  it  ?  Has  he  his  eye  upon 
them  ?  Has  he  had  his  eye  upon  them  ?  Can 
he  circumstantially  explain  to  us  how  Bill  got 
into  the  habit  of  beating  Nancy  about  the  head  ? 
If  he  cannot,  he  is  no  bishop,  though  he  had  a 
mitre  as  high  as  Salisbury  steeple ;  he  is  no  bishop, 
—  he  has  sought  to  be  at  the  helm  instead  of 
the  masthead ;  he  has  no  sight  of  things.  *  Nay/ 
you  say,  it  is  not  his  duty  to  look  after  Bill  in  the 
back  street.  What!  the  fat  sheep  that  have  full 
fleeces  —  you  think  it  is  only  those  he  should  look 
after,  while  (go  back  to  your  Milton)  '  the  hungry 
sheep  look  up,  and  are  not  fed,  besides  what  the 
grim  wolf  with  privy  paw '  (bishops  knowing  noth- 
ing about  it)  *  daily  devours  apace,  and  nothing  said '  ? 
" '  But  that's  not  our  idea  of  a  bishop.'  Perhaps 
not ;  but  it  was  St.  Paul's ;  and  it  was  Milton's. 
They  may  be  right,  or  we  may  be;  but  we  must 


146  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

not  think  we  are  reading  either  one  or  the  other  by 
putting  our  meaning  into  their  words. 
"  I  go  on. 

"  <  But,  swolln  with  wind,  and  the  rank  mist  they  draw.' 

"This  is  to  meet  the  vulgar  answer  that  'if  the 
poor  are  not  looked  after  in  their  bodies,  they  are  in 
their  souls ;  they  have  spiritual  food.' 

"  And  Milton  says,  '  They  have  no  such  thing  as 
spiritual  food;  they  are  only  swolln  with  wind.' 
At  first  you  may  think  that  is  a  coarse  type,  and 
an  obscure  one.  But,  again,  it  is  a  quite  literally 
accurate  one.  Take  up  your  Latin  and  Greek  dic- 
tionaries, and  find  out  the  meaning  of  '  Spirit.'  It 
is  only  a  contraction  of  the  Latin  word  'breath,' 
and  an  indistinct  translation  of  the  Greek  word  for 
'wind.'  The  same  word  is  used  in  writing.  'The 
wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth ; '  and  '  So  is  every 
one  that  is  born  of  the  Spirit,'  born  of  the  breath, 
that  is,  for  it  means  the  breath  of  God,  in  soul 
and  body.  We  have  the  true  sense  of  it  in  our 
words  'inspiration'  and  'expire.'  Now,  there  are 
two  kinds  of  breath  with  which  the  flock  may  be 
filled ;  God's  breath  and  man's.  The  breath  of  God 
is  health  and  life  and  peace  to  them,  as  the  air 
of  heaven  is  to  the  flocks  on  the  hills;  but  man's 
breath  —  the  word  he  calls  spiritual  —  is  disease  and 
contagion  to  them,  as  the  fog  of  the  fen.  They  rot 
inwardly  with  it ;  they  are  puffed  up  by  it,  as  a  body 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED    AND    ILLUSTRATED     147 

by  the  vapors  of  its  own  decomposition.  This  is 
literally  true  of  all  false  religious  teaching ;  the  first 
and  last  and  fatalest  sign  of  it  is  that  '  puffing  up.' 

"  Lastly,  let  us  return  to  the  lines  respecting  the 
power  of  the  keys,  for  now  we  can  understand  them. 
Note  the  difference  between  Milton  and  Dante  in 
their  interpretation  of  this  power ;  for  once  the  latter 
is  weaker  in  thought ;  he  supposes  both  the  keys  to 
be  of  the  gate  of  heaven ;  one  is  of  gold,  the  other  of 
silver ;  they  are  given  by  St.  Peter  to  the  sentinel  angel, 
and  it  is  not  easy  to  determine  the  meaning  either  of 
the  substances  of  the  three  steps  of  the  gate  or  of 
the  two  keys.  But  Milton  makes  one,  of  gold,  the  key 
of  heaven ;  the  other,  of  iron,  the  key  of  the  prison, 
in  which  the  wicked  teachers  are  to  be  bound  who 
*  have  taken  away  the  key  of  knowledge,  yet  entered 
not  in  themselves.' 

"We  have  seen  that  the  duties  of  bishop  and 
pastor  are  to  see  and  feed,  and,  of  all  who  do  so, 
it  is  said,  '  He  that  watereth,  shall  be  watered  also 
himself.'  But  the  reverse  is  truth  also.  He  that 
watereth  not,  shall  be  withered  himself,  and  he  that 
seeth  not,  shall  himself  be  shut  out  of  sight,  —  shut 
into  the  perpetual  prison  house.  And  that  prison 
opens  here  as  well  as  hereafter;  he  who  is  to  be 
bound  in  heaven  must  first  be  bound  on  earth.  That 
command  to  the  strong  angels,  of  which  the  rock- 
apostle  is  the  image,  *  Take  him,  and  bind  him  hand 
and  foot,  and  cast  him  out/  issues,  in  its  measure, 


148  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

against  the  teacher  for  every  help  withheld,  and  for 
every  truth  refused,  and  for  every  falsehood  enforced ; 
so  that  he  is  more  strictly  fettered  the  more  he  fetters, 
and  further  outcast  as  he  more  and  more  misleads, 
till  at  last  the  bars  of  the  iron  cage  close  upon  him, 
and  as  '  the  golden  opes,  the  iron  shuts  amain.' 

"  We  have  got  something  out  of  the  lines,  I  think, 
and  much  more  is  yet  to  be  found  in  them ;  but  we 
have  done  enough  by  way  of  example  of  the  kind  of 
word-by-word  examination  of  your  author  which  is 
rightly  called  'reading,'  watching  every  accent  and 
expression,  and  putting  ourselves  always  in  the  author's 
place,  annihilating  our  own  personality,  and  seeking 
to  enter  into  his,  so  as  to  be  able  assuredly  to  say, 
'Thus  Milton  thought,'  not  'Thus  I  thought,  in  mis- 
reading Milton.' " 

3.  In  reading  successive  poems  and  prose  selections 
from  different  authors,  strong  resemblances  in  thought 
or  language  are  frequently  detected.  It  is  a  thought- 
provoking  process  to  bring  such  similar  passages  to 
a  definite  comparison.  Even  where  the  same  topic 
is  treated  differently  by  two  authors,  the  different 
or  contrasted  points  of  view  are  suggestive.  Calling 
such  familiar  passages  to  mind  is  in  itself  a  good 
practice,  and  it  is  well  to  cultivate  this  mode  of 
turning  previous  knowledge  into  use. 

To  illustrate  this  point,  let  us  call  to  mind  some 
familiar  passages,  touching  the  winter  snow-storm 
and  the  fireside  comforts,  from  Whittier,  Emerson, 
and  Lowell. 


METHOD    FURTHER    DISCUSSED    AND    ILLUSTRATED     149 

Whittier's  description  of  a  snow-storm  in  "  Snow- 
Bound  "  is  well  known  :  — 

"  Unwarmed  by  any  sunset  light 
The  gray  day  darkened  into  night, 
A  night  made  hoary  with  the  swarm 
And  whirl-dance  of  the  blinding  storm, 
As  zigzag  wavering  to  and  fro 
Crossed  and  recrossed  the  winged  snow  : 
And  ere  the  early  bedtime  came 
The  white  drift  piled  the  window-frame, 
And  through  the  glass  the  clothes-line  posts 
Looked  in  like  tall  and  sheeted  ghosts. 

"  So  all  night  long  the  storm  roared  on : 
The  morning  broke  without  a  sun ; 
In  tiny  spherule  traced  with  lines 
Of  Nature's  geometric  signs, 
In  starry  flake  and  pellicle 
All  day  the  hoary  meteor  fell ; 
And,  when  the  second  morning  shone, 
We  looked  upon  a  world  unknown, 
On  nothing  we  could  call  our  own. 
Around  the  glistening  wonder  bent 
The  blue  walls  of  the  firmament, 
No  cloud  above,  no  earth  below, — 
A  universe  of  sky  and  snow! 
The  old  familiar  sights  of  ours 
Took  marvellous  shapes ;  strange  domes  and  towers 
Rose  up  where  sty  or  corn-crib  stood, 
Or  garden-wall,  or  belt  of  wood ; 
A  smooth  white  mound  the  brush-pile  showed, 
A  fenceless  drift  what  once  was  road ; 
The  bridle-post  an  old  man  sat 
With  loose-flung  coat  and  high  cocked  hat ; 
The  well-curb  had  a  Chinese  roof; 


ISO  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

And  even  the  long  sweep,  high  aloof, 
In  its  slant  splendor,  seemed  to  tell 
Of  Pisa's  leaning  miracle." 

Again  the  fireside  joy  is  expressed  :  — 

"  Shut  in  from  all  the  world  without, 
We  sat  the  clean-winged  hearth  about, 
Content  to  let  the  north-wind  roar 
In  baffled  rage  at  pane  and  door, 
While  the  red  logs  before  us  beat 
The  frost-line  back  with  tropic  heat ; 
And  ever,  when  a  louder  blast 
Shook  beam  and  rafter  as  it  passed, 
The  merrier  up  its  roaring  draught 
The  great  throat  of  the  chimney  laughed, 
The  house-dog  on  his  paws  outspread 
Laid  to  the  fire  his  drowsy  head, 
The  cat's  dark  silhouette  on  the  wall 
A  couchant  tiger's  seemed  to  fall ; 
And,  for  the  winter  fireside  meet, 
Between  the  andirons'  straddling  feet, 
The  mug  of  cider  simmered  slow, 
The  apples  sputtered  in  a  row, 
And,  close  at  hand,  the  basket  stood 
With  nuts  from  brown  October's  wood. 

"  What  matter  how  the  night  behaved  ? 
What  matter  how  the  north-wind  raved? 
Blow  high,  blow  low,  not  all  its  snow 
Could  quench  our  hearth-fire's  ruddy  glow." 

If  these  passages  and  others  in  "Snow-Bound" 
are  familiar  to  the  children  in  previous  study,  the 
reading  of  Emerson's  "  The  Snow-Storm,"  might  set 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND   ILLUSTRATED     15! 

them  to  recalling  a  whole   series  of   pictures  from 
Whittier :  — 


"Announced  by  all  the  trumpets  of  the  sky, 
Arrives  the  snow,  and,  driving  o'er  the  fields, 
Seems  nowhere  to  alight  :  the  whited  air 
Hides  hills  and  woods,  the  river,  and  the  heaven, 
And  veils  the  farmhouse  at  the  garden's  end. 
The  sled  and  traveller  stopped,  the  courier's  feet 
Delayed,  all  friends  shut  out,  the  housemates  sit 
Around  the  radiant  fireplace,  enclosed 
In  a  tumultuous  privacy  of  storm. 


"  Come  see  the  north  wind's  masonry. 
Out  of  an  unseen  quarry  evermore, 
Furnished  with  tile,  the  fierce  artificer 
Curves  his  white  bastions  with  projected  roof 
Round  every  windward  stake,  or  tree,  or  door. 
Speeding,  the  myriad-handed,  his  wild  work 
So  fanciful,  so  savage,  nought  cares  he 
For  number  or  proportion.     Mockingly, 
On  coop  or  kennel  he  hangs  Parian  wreaths  ; 
A  swan-like  form  invests  the  hidden  thorn  ; 
Fills  up  the  farmer's  lane  from  wall  to  wall, 
Maugre  the  farmer's  sighs  ;  and  at  the  gate 
A  tapering  turret  overtops  the  work. 
And  when  his  hours  are  numbered,  and  the  world 
Is  all  his  own,  retiring,  as  he  were  not, 
Leaves,  when  the  sun  appears,  astonished  Art 
To  mimic  in  slow  structures,  stone  by  stone, 
Built  in  an  age,  the  mad  wind's  night-work, 
The  frolic  architecture  of  the  snow." 


The  architecture  of  the  snow  can   be   compared 
point  by  point  in  both  authors,  in  the  objects  about 


I$2  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

the  farmhouse,  while  the  picture  of   the  snug  com- 
forts of  the  fireplace  is  in  both. 

Of  a  somewhat  different,  yet  closely  related,  char- 
acter is  the  description  in  the  Prelude  to  Part  Sec- 
ond, in  the  "  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal "  :  — 


Down  swept  the  chill  wind  from  the  mountain  peak, 
From  the  snow  five  thousand  summers  old ; 

On  open  wold  and  hill-top  bleak 
It  had  gathered  all  the  cold, 

And  whirled  it  like  sleet  on  the  wanderer's  cheek ; 

It  carried  a  shiver  everywhere 

From  the  unleafed  boughs  and  pastures  bare ; 

The  little  brook  heard  it  and  built  a  roof 

'Neath  which  he  could  house  him,  winter-proof; 

All  night  by  the  white  stars'  frosty  gleams 

He  groined  his  arches  and  matched  his  beams  5 

Slender  and  clear  were  his  crystal  spars 

As  the  lashes  of  light  that  trim  the  stars  ; 

He  sculptured  every  summer  delight 

In  his  halls  and  chambers  out  of  sight ; 

Sometimes  his  tinkling  waters  slipt 

Down  through  a  frost-leaved  forest-crypt, 

Long,  sparkling  aisles  of  steel-stemmed  trees 

Bending  to  counterfeit  a  breeze ; 

Sometimes  the  roof  no  fretwork  knew 

But  silvery  mosses  that  downward  grew ; 

Sometimes  it  was  carved  in  sharp  relief 

With  quaint  arabesques  of  ice-fern  leaf; 

Sometimes  it  was  simply  smooth  and  clear 

For  the  gladness  of  heaven  to  shine  through,  and  here 

He  had  caught  the  nodding  bulrush-tops 

And  hung  them  thickly  with  diamond  drops, 

Which  crystalled  the  beams  of  moon  and  sun, 

And  made  a  star  of  every  one : 


METHOD   FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND    ILLUSTRATED      I  §3 

No  mortal  builder's  most  rare  device 
Could  match  this  winter-palace  of  ice ; 
'Twas  as  if  every  image  that  mirrored  lay 
In  his  depths  serene  through  the  summer  day, 
Each  flitting  shadow  of  earth  and  sky, 

Lest  the  happy  model  should  be  lost, 
Had  been  mimicked  in  fairy  masonry 

By  the  elfin  builders  of  the  frost. 

u  Within  the  hall  are  the  song  and  laughter, 

The  cheeks  of  Christmas  glow  red  and  jolly, 
And  sprouting  is  every  corbel  and  rafter 

With  the  lightsome  green  of  ivy  and  holly ; 
Through  the  deep  gulf  of  the  chimney  wide 
Wallows  the  Yule-log's  roaring  tide ; 
The  broad  flame-pennons  droop  and  flap 

And  belly  and  tug  as  a  flag  in  the  wind ; 
Like  a  locust  shrills  the  imprisoned  sap, 

Hunted  to  death  in  its  galleries  blind ; 
And  swift  little  troops  of  silent  sparks, 

Now  pausing,  now  scattering  away  as  in  fear, 
Go  threading  the  soot-forest's  tangled  darks 

Like  herds  of  startled  deer." 


The  elfin  builders  of  the  frost  have  raised  even 
more  delicate  structures  than  the  snow.  The  descrip- 
tive power  of  the  poets  in  picturing  nature's  handi- 
work cannot  be  better  seen  than:  in  these  passages. 
It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  suggest  the  points  of 
resemblance  which  children  will  quickly  detect  in 
these  passages,  as  the  comparison  of  — 

"  Through  the  deep  gulf  of  the  chimney  wide 
Wallows  the  Yule-log's  roaring  tide," 


154  SPECIAL   METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

with  this,  — 

"  The  merrier  up  its  roaring  draught . 
The  great  throat  of  the  chimney  laughed." 

Such  passages,  suggesting  like  thoughts  in  earlier 
studies,  are  very  frequent  and  spring  up  in  unex- 
pected quarters. 

For  example,  Emerson,  in  "  Waldeinsamkeit," 
says : — 

"  I  do  not  count  the  hours  I  spend 

In  wandering  by  the  sea ; 
The  forest  is  my  loyal  friend, 
Like  God  it  useth  me." 

Again,  in  the  "  Apology,'*  he  says  :  — 

"  Think  me  not  unkind  and  rude 

That  I  walk  alone  in  grove  and  glen ; 
I  go  to  the  god  of  the  wood 
To  fetch  his  word  to  men." 

And  Lowell,  in  "The  Bobolink"  :  — 

"  As  long,  long  years  ago  I  wandered, 
I  seem  to  wander  even  yet. 
The  hours  the  idle  schoolboy  squandered, 
The  man  would  die  ere  he'd  forget. 

0  hours  that  frosty  eld  deemed  wasted, 
Nodding  his  gray  head  toward  my  books, 

1  dearer  prize  the  lore  I  tasted 

With  you,  among  the  trees  and  brooks, 
Than  all  that  I  have  gained  since  then 
From  learned  books  or  study-withered  men." 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND   ILLUSTRATED     1 55 

And  Whittier  says  :  — 

"  Our  uncle,  innocent  of  books, 
Was  rich  in  lore  of  fields  and  brooks, 
The  ancient  teachers  never  dumb 
Of  Nature's  unhoused  lyceum." 

It  would  not  be  difficult  to  recall  other  passages 
from  Bryant,  Shakespeare,  Byron,  and  many  others, 
expressing  this  love  of  solitude  in  woods  or  on  the 
seashore,  and  the  wisdom  to  be  gained  from  such 
communion  with  nature.  This  active  retrospect  to 
gather  up  kindred  thoughts  out  of  previous  studies 
and  mingle  them  with  the  newer  influx  of  radiant 
ideas  from  master  minds  is  a  fruitful  mode  of  assim- 
ilating and  compounding  knowledge.  It  may  be 
advisable  at  times  for  the  teacher  to  bring  together 
a  few  additional  passages  from  still  wider  sources, 
expressive  of  a  thought  kindred  to  that  worked  out 
in  the  class.  Such  study  leads  to  a  self-reliant,  en- 
thusiastic companionship  with  the  thoughts  of  great 
men,  and  is  most  profitable. 

4.  There  is  a  pronounced  value  in  dramatic  repre- 
sentation of  literary  selections.  The  impersonating 
of  characters  gives  an  intensity  and  realism  to  the 
thought  that  cannot  be  effected  in  any  other  way. 
In  some  cases  it  is  possible  to  provide  a  stage  and 
some  degree  of  costuming,  to  lend  more  complete 
realization  of  the  scenes. 

In  favor  of  such  dramatic  efforts  it  may  be  said 
that  children,  even  in  the  earlier  grades,  are  naturally 


156  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

dramatic,  and  enjoy  greatly  both  seeing  and  partici- 
pating in  them.  It  gives  scope  to  their  natural  ten- 
dency toward  action,  rather  than  repose,  and  proper 
verbal  expression  is  more  easily  secured  in  conjunc- 
tion with  action  than  without  it.  In  this  connection 
it  may  be  said  that  acting  lends  greater  freedom  and 
spontaneity  to  the  reading. 

Schlegel,  in  his  description  of  dramatic  art,  says  :  — 
"  Even  in  a  lively  oral  narration,  it  is  not  unusual 
to  introduce  persons  in  conversation  with  each  other, 
and  to  give  a  corresponding  variety  to  the  tone  and  the 
expression.  But  the  gaps,  which  these  conversations 
leave  in  the  story,  the  narrator  fills  up  in  his  own 
name  with  a  description  of  the  accompanying  circum- 
stances, and  other  particulars.  The  dramatic  poet 
must  renounce  all  such  expedients ;  but  for  this  he  is 
richly  recompensed  in  the  following  invention.  He 
requires  each  of  the  characters  in  his  story  to  be  per- 
sonated by  a  living  individual;  that  this  individual 
should,  in  sex,  age,  and  figure,  meet  as  near  as  may 
be  the  prevalent  conceptions  of  his  fictitious  original, 
nay,  assume  his  entire  personality ;  that  every  speech 
should  be  delivered  in  a  suitable  tone  of  voice,  and 
accompanied  by  appropriate  action  and  gesture; 
and  that  those  external  circumstances  should  be 
added  which  are  necessary  to  give  the  hearers  a 
clear  idea  of  what  is  going  forward.  Moreover,  these 
representatives  of  the  creatures  of  his  imagination 
must  appear  in  the  costume  belonging  to  their  as- 


METHOD    FURTHER    DISCUSSED    AND    ILLUSTRATED     157 

sumed  rank,  and  to  their  age  and  country ;  partly  for 
the  sake  of  greater  resemblance,  and  partly  because, 
even  in  dress,  there  is  something  characteristic. 
Lastly,  he  must  see  them  placed  in  a  locality  which, 
in  some  degree,  resembles  that  where,  according  to 
his  fable,  the  action  took  place,  because  this  also  con- 
tributes to  the  resemblance :  he  places  them,  i.e.,  on  a 
scene.  All  this  brings  us  to  the  idea  of  the  theatre. 
It  is  evident  that  the  very  form  of  dramatic  poetry, 
that  is,  the  exhibition  of  an  action  by  dialogue  with- 
out the  aid  of  narrative,  implies  the  theatre  as  its 
necessary  complement." 

"  The  invention  of  dramatic  art,  and  of  the  theatre, 
seems  a  very  obvious  and  natural  one.  Man  has  a 
great  disposition  to  mimicry ;  when  he  enters  vividly 
into  the  situation,  sentiments,  and  passions  of  others, 
he  involuntarily  puts  on  a  resemblance  to  them  in 
his  gestures.  Children  are  perpetually  going  out  of 
themselves;  it  is  one  of  their  chief  amusements  to 
represent  those  grown  people  whom  they  have  had 
an  opportunity  of  observing,  or  whatever  strikes  their 
fancy ;  and  with  the  happy  pliancy  of  their  imagina- 
tion, they  can  exhibit  all  the  characteristics  of  any 
dignity  they  may  choose  to  assume,  be  it  that  of  a 
father,  a  schoolmaster,  or  a  king." 

In  his  book,  "  Imagination  and  Dramatic  Instinct," 
S.  S.  Curry  says :  — 

"  Since  dramatic  instinct  is  so  important,  the 
question  naturally  arises  respecting  the  use  of  dia- 


158  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

logues  for  its  education.  There  are  those  who  think 
that  all  histrionic  art  is  useless  ;  that  it  is  even  delete- 
rious to  character  to  assume  a  part. 

"  The  best  answer  to  this  is  the  study  of  the  little 
child.  The  very  first  means  a  child  adopts  to  get  out 
of  itself,  or  to  realize  the  great  world  about  it,  is  by 
dramatic  action  and  instinct.  No  child  was  ever  born 
with  any  mind  at  all,  that  had  not  some  of  this  in- 
stinct; and  the  more  promising  the  child,  the  more 
is  it  dramatic  and  imaginative.  Dramatic  instinct  is 
universal.  It  is  the  secret  of  all  success ;  it  is  the  in- 
stinct by  which  man  sees  things  from  different  points 
of  view,  by  which  he  realizes  the  ideal  in  character  in 
contrast  to  that  which  is  not  ideal." 

"  Professor  Monroe  was  once  asked  by  a  clergyman 
for  private  lessons.  He  told  him  that  was  impossible. 
'  Well, '  said  the  minister,  '  what  can  I  do  then  ? ' 
1  Go  home  and  read  Shakespeare  dramatically. ' 
Why  was  such  advice  given  ?  Because  the  struggle  to 
read  Shakespeare  would  get  the  minister  out  of  him- 
self. The  struggle  to  realize  how  men  of  different 
types  of  character  would  speak  certain  things  would 
make  him  conscious  whether  he,  himself,  spoke  natu- 
rally. He  would,  in  short,  become  aware  of  his 
mannerisms,  of  his  narrow  gamut  of  emotions,  his 
sameness  of  point  of  view ;  he  would  be  brought  into 
direct  contact  with  the  process  of  his  own  mind  in 
thinking." 

The  supreme  value  of  a  vivid  and  versatile  imagi- 


METHOD   FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND   ILLUSTRATED     159 

nation  in  giving  full  and  rich  development  to  the  whole 
mind  is  now  a  vital  part  of  our  confession  of  faith. 
The  question  is  how  to  cultivate  such  a  resourceful 
imagination.  The  literature  of  the  creative  imagi- 
nation is  felt  to  be  the  chief  means,  and  the  dramatic 
instinct  toward  interpreting,  assimilating  and  express- 
ing human  thought  and  feeling  opens  the  avenue  of 
growth. 

Dr.  Curry  says :  — 

"  Dramatic  instinct  should  be  trained  because  it  is 
a  part  of  the  imagination,  because  it  gives  us  practical 
steps  toward  the  development  of  the  imagination, 
because  it  is  the  means  of  securing  discipline  and 
power  over  feeling.  Dramatic  instinct  should  be 
trained  because  it  is  the  insight  of  one  mind  into  an- 
other. The  man  who  has  killed  his  dramatic  instinct 
has  become  unsympathetic,  and  can  never  appreciate 
any  one's  point  of  view  but  his  own.  Dramatic 
instinct  endows  us  with  broad  conceptions  of  the 
idiosyncrasies,  beliefs,  and  convictions  of  men.  It 
trains  us  to  unconscious  reasoning,  to  a  deep  insight 
into  the  motives  of  man.  It  is  universally  felt  that 
one's  power  to  '  other  himself  '  is  the  measure  of  the 
greatness  of  his  personality.  All  sympathy,  all 
union  of  ourselves  with  the  ideals  and  struggles  of 
our  race,  are  traceable  to  imagination  and  dramatic 
instinct." 

He  further  emphasizes  the  idea  that  dramatic  in- 
stinct has  two  elements  —  imagination  and  sympathy. 


l6O  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

"  Imagination  affords  insight  into  character ;  sym- 
pathy enables  us  to  identify  ourselves  with  it."  "  To- 
gether they  form  the  chief  elements  of  altruism. 
They  redeem  the  mind  from  narrowness  and  selfish- 
ness;  they  enable  the  individual  to  appreciate  the 
point  of  view,  the  feelings,  motives,  and  characters  of 
his  fellow-men ;  they  open  his  eyes  to  read  the 
various  languages  of  human  art ;  they  enable  him  to 
commune  with  his  kind  on  a  higher  plane  than  that  of 
commonplace  facts ;  they  lift  him  into  communion  with 
the  art  and  spirit  of  every  age  and  nation.  Without 
their  development  man  is  excluded  from  the  highest 
enjoyment,  the  highest  communion  with  his  kind,  and 
from  the  highest  success  in  every  walk  of  life." 

Dramatization  is  the  only  means  by  which  we  can 
bring  the  reading  work  of  the  school  to  its  full  and 
natural  expression.  The  action  involved  in  it  predis- 
poses the  mind  to  full  and  natural  utterance.  The  ful- 
filment of  all  the  dramatic  conditions  lends  an  impetus 
and  genuineness  to  every  word  that  is  spoken.  It 
has  been  often  observed  that  boys  and  girls  whose 
reading  is  somewhat  expressionless  become  direct 
and  forcible  when  taking  a  part  in  a  dialogue  or 
dramatic  action.  It  would  be  almost  farcical  not  to 
put  force  and  meaning  into  the  words  when  all  the 
other  elements  of  action  and  realism  are  present. 

Educational  progress  is  everywhere  exerting  a 
distinct  pressure  at  those  points  where  greater  real- 
ism, deeper  absorption  in  actualities,  is  possible. 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED    AND    ILLUSTRATED     l6l 

This  is  the  significance  of  outdoor  excursions,  of 
experiments,  laboratories,  and  object  work  in  nature 
study.  In  geography  and  history  it  is  the  purpose 
of  pictures,  vivid  descriptions,  biographical  stories,  and 
the  accounts  of  eye-witnesses  and  real  travellers,  etc. 

In  literature  we  possess,  embodied  in  striking 
concrete  personalities,  many  of  the  most  forcible 
ideas  that  men  have  conceived  and  dealt  with  in 
the  history  of  the  world.  It  is  very  desirable  that 
children  should  become  themselves  the  vehicles  for 
the  expression  of  these  ideas.  The  school  is  the 
place  where  children  should  become  the  embodi- 
ment of  ideas.  It  would  be  a  grand  and  not  im- 
practical scheme  of  education  to  propose  to  make 
the  school  a  place  where  each  child,  in  a  well- 
chosen  succession,  should  be  allowed  to  impersonate 
and  become  the  embodiment  of  the  constructive 
ideas  of  our  civilization. 

We  reason  much  concerning  the  educative  value 
of  carpentry,  of  the  various  forms  of  manual  skill  in 
wood  and  iron,  of  weaving,  gardening,  and  cooking, 
of  the  work  of  shoemaker,  basket-maker,  and  potter, 
and  of  the  educative  value  of  these  constructive 
activities ;  for  the  purposes  of  universal  education, 
is  it  not  of  equal  importance  that  children  become 
skilled  in  the  histrionic  art,  in  the  apt  interpretation 
and  expression  of  good  manners,  in  that  deeper 
social  insight  and  versatile  tact  which  are  the  con- 
structive elements  in  conduct  ?  Or,  putting  it  in  a 


1 62  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

more  obvious  form,  is  it  any  more  important  for 
a  person  to  know  how  to  construct  a  bookcase  or 
even  a  steam-engine,  than  to  shape  his  speech  or 
conduct  skilfully  in  meeting  a  board  of  education 
or  a  business  manager. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  school  to  educate 
players  or  public  readers,  any  more  than  to  train 
carpenters  or  machinists.  But  the  reading  exercises 
in  school  should  culminate  in  the  ability  to  sympa- 
thetically interpret  a  considerable  variety  of  human 
life  and  character  as  presented  in  our  best  literature. 
Modern  educators,  however,  are  not  satisfied,  in  any 
important  study,  with  theoretical  knowledge  derived 
from  books.  They  demand  that  knowledge  shall 
pass  over  into  some  sort  of  practice  and  use.  Read- 
ing passes  naturally  and  without  a  break  from  the 
interpretation  of  life  to  its  embodiment  in  conduct. 
In  this  important  respect  it  is  the  most  practical 
of  all  studies.  Its  subject  matter,  derived  from 
literature,  consists  largely  of  an  interesting  variety 
of  typical  and  artistically  beautiful  character  delinea- 
tions from  the  hands  of  the  supreme  master  of  this 
art.  Dramatic  representation  is  the  last  and  indis- 
pensable step  in  the  art  of  reading ;  and  the  interest 
that  naturally  attaches  to  it,  from  early  childhood 
up  through  all  the  stages  of  growth,  removes  one 
chief  obstacle  to  its  introduction. 

Keeping  in  mind  that  wisdom,  skill,  and  versatility 
in  conduct  are  the  natural  and  appropriate  outcome 


METHOD    FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND   ILLUSTRATED     163 

of  successful  dramatic  representation,  it  is  not  at 
all  extravagant  to  say  that  the  average  child  will 
have  far  more  use  for  this  result,  both  now  and  in  all 
the  vicissitudes  of  later  life,  than  for  skill  in  car- 
pentry, or  ironwork,  or  weaving,  etc. 

Nor  have  we  any  disposition  to  detract  from  the 
value  usually  attributed  to  manual  training  in  its 
various  forms  by  its  advocates. 

It  is  not  uncommon  for  teachers  generally  to  employ 
the  dialogue  form  when  the  selection  admits  of  it,  and 
to  assign  the  parts  to  different  children.  Our  purpose, 
however,  in  the  fuller  discussion  and  emphasis  of  the 
dramatic  element  is  to  suggest  a  more  liberal  employ- 
ment of  dramatic  selections,  and  to  provide  for  a  much 
fuller  dramatic  representation,  using  simple,  inexpen- 
sive costumes  and  stage  surroundings  where  possible. 

When  we  examine  in  detail  the  number  of  dramatic 
selections  in  a  set  of  readers,  or  among  the  master- 
pieces sometimes  read  in  the  classes  below  the  high 
school,  we  shall  find  a  number  of  purely  dramatic 
works.  "The  Merchant  of  Venice"  and  "Julius 
Caesar "  are  well  adapted  to  seventh  and  eighth 
grades,  and  there  are  many  selections  in  which 
the  dialogue  is  an  important  feature,  as  in  "The 
Cricket  on  the  Hearth,"  "  King  of  the  Golden  River," 
"Tanglewood  Tales,"  "Lady  of  the  Lake,"  "Mar- 
mion,"  "  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  "  Grandfather's  Chair," 
and  many  others. 

"  The   Courtship   of    Miles   Standish "    has   been 


1 64  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

published  in  a  form  specially  adapted  for  school 
exhibitions  by  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.  Longfellow's 
"  Giles  Corey  of  the  Salem  Farms,"  in  the  "  Riverside 
Series,"  is  a  drama  well  suited  to  sixth  grade.  The 
story  of  "William  Tell,"  derived  from  Schiller's 
drama,  is  adapted  to  sixth  and  possibly  to  fifth  grade. 

Some  of  the  ballads  are  cast  in  the  form  of  the 
dialogue,  and  can  be  easily  treated  so  in  the  school, 
as  "  Proud  Lady  Margaret,"  "  Robin  Hood  and  the 
Widow's  Sons,"  "  King  John  and  the  Abbot  of  Canter- 
bury," and  many  others.  The  Robin  Hood  stories 
are  full  of  dialogue  and  could  be  easily  dramatized, 
and  so  with  "  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  and  others. 

An  examination  of  our  literature  from  this  point 
of  view  will  discover  a  strong  dramatic  element  in 
a  large  portion  of  it,  and  the  cultivation  of  this  spirit 
will  qualify  the  children  for  a  better  appreciation  of 
many  of  the  great  works. 

5.    Treatment  of  the  "  Odyssey." 

The  "  Odyssey  "  is  probably  as  well  known  as  any 
masterpiece  in  the  world's  literature.  For  the  sake1 
of  illustration,  therefore,  we  will  enter  upon  a  brief 
discussion  of  the  mode  of  handling  it  as  a  unit  in  the 
school. 

There  are  abundant  sources  in  English  from 
which  the  teacher  can  get  an  adequate  knowledge 
of  this  great  poem  without  using  the  original  Greek. 
A  few  of  the  leading  books  which  the  teacher  may 
consult  are  as  follows :  "The  Story  of  Ulysses " 


METHOD    FURTHER    DISCUSSED    AND    ILLUSTRATED     165 

(Cook).  A  very  simple,  abbreviated  narrative  of 
Ulysses'  wanderings,  sometimes  used  as  a  reading 
book  in  fourth  or  fifth  grade.  (Public  School 
Publishing  Co.) —  "Lamb's  Adventures  of  Ulysses." 
A  pleasing  prose  rendering  of  the  chief  incidents  of 
the  story,  more  difficult  than  the  preceding.  Some- 
times used  as  a  reader.  (Ginn  &  Co.) — "Church's 
Stories  of  the  Old  World,"  in  which  "  The  Adven- 
tures of  Ulysses "  forms  a  chapter.  A  good  short 
treatment  of  the  story  in  simple  language.  (Ginn  & 
Co.)  —  "Ulysses  among  the  Phaeacians,"  consisting 
of  selections  from  five  books  of  the  "  Odyssey "  as 
translated  into  verse  by  Bryant.  This  seems  well 
adapted  for  use  as  a  reading-book  in  fourth  or  fifth 
grade,  and  will  be  discussed  more  fully  as  such. 
(Houghton,  MifHin,  &  Co.)  —  "  The  Odyssey  of 
Homer"  by  Palmer,  is  an  excellent  prose-poetic 
rendering  of  the  whole  poem,  and  is  of  great  service 
to  the  teacher.  (Houghton,  MifHin,  &  Co.)  —  An- 
other excellent  prose  translation,  by  Butcher  and 
Lang,  has  been  much  used.  (The  Macmillan  Co.) 
—  Bryant's  "  Homer's  '  Odyssey,'  "  a  complete  poetic 
rendering  of  the  whole  twenty-four  books  of  the 
poem,  is  probably  the  best  basis  for  school  refer- 
ence and  study  of  the  poem.  —  "  National  Epics,"  by 
Rabb,  has  a  good  narrative  and  introduction  for  the 
"  Odyssey,"  and  a  list  of  critical  references.  (A.  C. 
McClurg  &  Co.)  —  "Art  and  Humanity  in  Homer," 
by  Lawton,  has  an  interesting  discussion  of  the 


1 66  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

"  Odyssey."  Other  famous  translations  of  the  whole 
"  Odyssey  "  were  made  by  Alexander  Pope,  William 
Cowper,  George  Chapman,  and  others. 

It  is  not  unusual  in  schools  for  teachers  to  give 
children  of  the  third  or  fourth  grade  an  oral  introduc- 
tion to  the  whole  story  in  a  series  of  lessons.  This 
requires  skill  in  presenting  and  discussing  the 
episodes,  and  should  be  attended  by  good  oral  repro- 
ductions by  the  children.  Such  oral  work  should  be 
done  in  distinct  lessons  apart  from  the  regular  read- 
ing. Later,  in  fourth  or  fifth  grade,  the  story  is 
sometimes  read  in  class  from  one  of  the  simple  prose 
narratives  of  Miss  Cook,  or  Lamb,  or  Church.  In 
the  fifth  or  sixth  grade,  "  Ulysses  among  the  Phaea- 
cians"  forms  an  interesting  reading-book,  with  which 
to  acquaint  the  children  more  fully  with  the  poetic 
beauty  and  descriptive  detail  of  the  original,  so  far 
as  it  can  be  secured  in  English.  In  connection  with 
such  reading  it  may  be  interesting  to  choose  from 
Bryant's  complete  translation  other  selected  parts  of 
the  story,  and  encourage  the  children  to  read  them, 
if  books  from  the  library  or  homes  can  be  provided. 

We  may  dwell  for  a  moment  upon  those  qualities  of 
Homer's  story  which  have  commanded  the  admira- 
tion of  the  great  poets  in  different  ages  and  countries. 
The  peculiar  poetic  charm  and  power  of  the  original 
Greek  are  probably  untranslatable,  although  several 
eminent  poets  have  attempted  it.  But  we  have  at 
least  both  prose  and  verse  renderings  of  it  that  are 
beautiful  and  poetic. 


METHOD   FURTHER   DISCUSSED   AND    ILLUSTRATED     167 

Some  of  the  critics  have  said  that  the  whole  poem 
is  a  perfect  unit  in  thought,  —  much  more  so  than  the 
"Iliad,"  —  centring  in  the  person  of  Ulysses.  His 
wanderings  and  his  final  return  constitute  the  thread 
of  the  narrative.  In  the  main  it  is  a  story  of  peace, 
with  descriptions  of  cities,  islands,  palaces,  strange 
lands,  and  peaceful  arts  and  manners.  After  their 
return  from  Troy  we  meet  Nestor  and  Menelaus, 
dwelling  happily  in  their  palaces  and  surrounded 
with  home  comforts.  Ulysses,  himself,  the  great 
sufferer,  is  tossed  about  the  world,  or  held  captive 
on  sea-girt,  far-away  islands.  He  passes  through  a 
series  of  wonderful  adventures,  keeping  his  alertness 
and  balance  of  mind  so  completely  that  his  name  has 
become  a  synonym  in  all  lands  for  shrewdness  and 
far-seeing  wisdom.  And  it  is  not  only  a  wise  percep- 
tion, but  a  self-control  in  the  midst  of  old  and  new 
temptations  which  is  most  remarkable.  This  over- 
mastering shrewdness  or  calculation  even  overdoes 
itself  and  becomes  amusing,  when  he  tries,  for 
example,  to  deceive  his  guardian  goddess  as  to  who 
he  is.  The  descriptions  of  women  and  of  domestic 
life  are  famous  and  delightful.  The  constancy  of 
Penelope,  her  industry  and  shrewdness  in  outwitting 
the  suitors,  have  given  her  a  supreme  place  among 
the  women  of  story.  The  descriptions  of  peaceful 
manners  and  customs,  of  public  games,  of  feasting 
and  music,  of  palace  halls  and  ornament,  are  among 
the  great  literary  pictures  of  the  world. 


1 68  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

The  particular  adventures  through  which  Ulysses 
passed  with  Circe,  with  the  Sirens,  with  Polyphemus, 
with  Eolus,  with  the  lotus-eaters,  and  others,  are 
plainly  suggestive  of  the  dangers  which  threaten  the 
thoughtless  minded,  those  who  plunge  headlong  into 
danger  without  forethought.  Ulysses  does  not  give 
way  to  folly  or  passion,  is  bold  and  skilful  in  danger, 
and  persevering  to  the  last  extreme. 

In  the  treatment  of  the  "  Odyssey,"  the  teacher 
will  need  a  general  knowledge  of  Greek  mythology, 
which  can  be  easily  derived  from  "Greek  Gods, 
Heroes,  and  Men "  (Scott,  Foresman,  &  Co.),  and 
from  several  other  of  the  reference  books.  Some 
study  of  Greek  architecture,  sculpture,  and  modes  of 
life  will  be  instructive  and  helpful,  as  given  in  Smith's 
"  History  of  Greece  "  and  other  histories.  Pictures  of 
Greek  temples  and  ruins,  sculpture,  and  palaces  will 
be  pleasing  and  attractive  to  children.  (See  Liibke's 
"  History  of  Art,"  Vol.  I,  Dodd,  Mead,  &  Co.)  Some 
of  the  children's  books  also  contain  good  pictures. 

A  good  map,  indicating  the  supposed  wanderings 
of  Ulysses  in  the  Mediterranean,  is  given  in  several 
of  the  books,  e.g.  in  Palmer's  "  Odyssey,"  and  fixes 
many  of  the  most  interesting  events  of  the  story. 
The  teacher  should  not  overlook  the  geography  of 
the  story  and  its  relation  to  this  and  later  studies  in 
history,  literature,  and  geography. 

In  using  "  Ulysses  among  the  Phaeacians  "  as  a 
reader  in  fourth  or  fifth  grade,  the  first  unit  of  study 


METHOD    FURTHER    DISCUSSED    AND    ILLUSTRATED     169 

is  the  voyage  of  Ulysses  on  his  raft,  from  the  time 
of  leaving  Calypso  till  he  is  wrecked  by  the  storm 
and  driven  upon  the  island  of  Scheria,  the  home  of 
the  Phseacians.  We  will  suggest  a  few  points  in 
the  treatment.  The  supposed  places  and  the  route 
of  the  voyage  can  be  traced  on  the  map.  Let  the 
teacher  sketch  it  on  the  board  in  assigning  the  lesson. 
Suggest  that  the  children  locate  in  the  sky  the  stars 
and  constellations  by  which  Ulysses  is  to  direct  his 
course.  The  story  of  the  construction  of  the  raft  on 
which  Ulysses  is  to  make  this  journey,  just  preceding 
this  part  of  the  story,  could  be  read  to  the  class  by 
the  teacher,  as  it  is  not  contained  in  these  extracts. 
In  length  of  time  how  does  this  voyage  compare 
with  a  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  to-day  ?  Why  is  it 
said,  in  line  329,  that  the  Great  Bear  "  alone  dips  not 
into  the  waters  of  the  deep  "  ? 

From  previous  studies,  the  children  may  be  able 
to  tell  of  Ulysses'  stay  upon  the  island  with  Calypso. 
What  may  the  children  know  of  Neptune  ?  Why  is 
he  angered  with  Ulysses  ?  A  picture  of  Neptune 
with  the  trident  is  in  place.  Explain  the  expression 
"while  from  above  the  night  fell  suddenly."  Was 
Ulysses  justified  in  saying,  "  Now  must  I  die  a  miser- 
able death "  ?  In  spite  of  the  desperate  storm,  in 
what  ways  does  Ulysses  struggle  to  save  his  life  ? 
How  do  the  gods  assist  him  ?  In  what  way  does 
this  experience  of  Ulysses  remind  us  of  Robinson 
Crusoe's  shipwreck  and  escape  ? 


I/O  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

With  how  many  men  had  Ulysses  started  on  his 
way  to  Troy  ?  Now  he  alone  escapes  after  great 
suffering  and  hopeless  buffetings.  In  what  way 
during  this  voyage  and  shipwreck  did  Ulysses  display 
his  accustomed  shrewdness  and  foresight?  After 
landing,  what  dangers  did  he  still  fear? 

The  nearly  three  hundred  lines  of  Book  V,  which 
give  this  account  of  Ulysses'  voyage  and  shipwreck, 
will  require  several  lessons,  and  the  above  questions 
are  but  a  few  of  those  raised  in  its  reading  and  dis- 
cussion. When  Neptune,  Ulysses,  or  Ino  speak,  let 
the  speaker  be  impersonated  so  as  to  give  greater 
force  and  reality.  In  the  next  book  (VI),  there  is 
more  of  dialogue  and  better  opportunity  for  variety 
of  manner  and  voice. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  enter  into  further  detail 
suggesting  questions.  But  we  may  believe  that  a 
spirited  treatment  of  this  part  of  the  story  of  Ulysses 
in  reading  lessons,  including  his  stay  and  treatment 
among  the  Phseacians,  will  give  the  children  much 
appreciation  of  the  beauty  and  power  of  this  old 
story.  By  means  of  occasional  readings  of  other 
selected  parts  of  the  "  Odyssey/'  from  Bryant  or 
Palmer,  some  of  the  most  striking  pictures  in  the 
story  of  his  wanderings  can  be  presented.  Even 
the  children  may  find  time  for  some  of  this  addi- 
tional, outside  reading.  In  any  event  the  story  of 
Ulysses,  as  a  piece  of  great  literature,  can  thus  be 
brought  home  to  the  understandings  and  hearts  of 


SUMMARY   OF    SIGNIFICANT    POINTS    IN    READING     I?I 

children,  and  will  constitute  henceforward  a  part 
of  that  rich  furniture  of  the  mind  which  we  call 
culture. 


SUMMARY  OF  SIGNIFICANT  POINTS  IN  READING 

1.  The  teacher's  effort  is  first  directed  to  a  vivid 
interpretation  of  the   author's  thought  and  feeling, 
and  later  to  an  expressive  rendering  of  the  thought. 

2.  Every  exertion   should   be   made   to   lead   the 
children  to  an  absorbed  and  interested  attention  in 
the  selections. 

3.  The  author's  leading  motive   in  the  whole  se- 
lection should  be  firmly  grasped  by  the  teacher.     By 
centring  all  discussion  toward  this  motive,  unneces- 
sary digressions  will  be  avoided. 

4.  The  teacher  will  hardly  teach  well  unless  he 
has  saturated  himself  with  the  spirit  of  the  selection, 
and  enjoys  it.     To  this  end  he  needs  not  only  to 
study  the  selection,  but  also  the  historical,  geographi- 
cal, biographical,  and  other  side-lights. 

5.  The   teacher   needs   great  freedom  and  versa- 
tility in  the  use  of  his  materials.     Warmth,  anima- 
tion, and  freedom  of  manner  are  necessary. 

6.  Children   often  do  not  know  how  to  study  a 
reading  lesson.     In  the  assignment  and  in  the  way  of 
handling  the  lesson  they  should  be  taught  how  to  get 
at  it,  how  to  understand  and  enjoy  it. 


1/2  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

7.  In  the  assignment  of  the  lesson  the  thought 
of  the  piece  should  be  opened  up  in  an  interesting 
way,  and  such  difficulties  as  children  are  not  likely  to 
grapple  with  and  master  for  themselves  pointed  out 
and  approached.      Difficult  words  need  to  be  pro- 
nounced and  hard  passages  explained. 

8.  The  assignment  should  be  unmistakably  clear 
and  definite,  so  as  to  insure  a  good  seat  study. 

9.  The   seat   study   should   be   chiefly  on   parts 
already  discussed  in  class. 

10.  During  the  recitation  proper,  strong  class  at- 
tention by  all  the  members  of  the  class  is  a  first 
necessity.     Much  knowledge,  alertness,  and  skill  are 
necessary  to  secure  this.      One  must  keep  all  the 
members   of   the   class   in   the   eye   constantly,  and 
distribute    the    questions    and    work    among    them 
promptly    and    judiciously,   so    as    to    secure    con- 
centrated effort. 

11.  The  teacher  can  often  judge  a  recitation  better 
without  looking  at  the  book  while  the  class  is  read- 
ing. 

12.  Skill  in  questioning  is  very  useful  in  reading 

lessons. 

(a)  Questions  to  arouse  the  thought  should 
appeal  to  the  experience  of  children. 

(fr)  Questions  to  bring  out  the  meaning  of 
words  or  passages,  or  to  expose  errors  or 
to  develop  thought,  should  be  clear  and 
specific,  not  long  and  ambiguous. 


SUMMARY    OF    SIGNIFICANT    POINTS    IN    READING      1/3 

13.  Let  the   teacher  be   satisfied  with  reasonable 
answers,  and  not  insist  on  the  precise  verbal  form 
present  to  his  own  mind. 

14.  The   teacher   needs   to   awaken   strongly  the 
imagination    in     picturing    scenes,    in    interpreting 
poetic   images   and    figures,    and    in    impersonating 
characters.     The  picture-forming  power  is  stimulated 
by  apt  questions,  by  suggestion  of  the  teacher,  by 
interpretation,  by  appeal  to  experience,  by  dramatic 
action. 

15.  The  use  of  the  dialogue  and  dramatic  repre- 
sentation is  among  the   best   means   of   awakening 
interest   and   producing  freedom  and   self-forgetful- 
ness. 

1 6.  The  pupil  should  give  his  own  interpretation, 
subject  to  correction,  and  interpret  parts  in  relation 
to  the  whole. 

17.  Without  too  much  loss  of  time  children  should 
learn  to  help  themselves    in  overcoming  difficulties 
in  solving  problems. 

1 8.  Sometimes  it  is  well  for  children  to  come  pre- 
pared to  ask  definite  questions  on  parts  they  do  not 
understand. 

19.  The  tendency  to  more  independent  and  mature 
thinking  is  encouraged  by  comparing  similar  ideas, 
figures  of  speech,  and  language  in  different  poems 
and  from  different  authors. 

20.  There  should  be  much  effective  reading  and 
not  much  mere  oral  reproduction.     The  paraphrase 


1/4  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

may  be  used  at  times  to  give  the  pupil  a  larger  view 
of  the  content  of  the  piece. 

21.  Let  the  pupil  reading  feel  responsible  for  giv- 
ing to  the  class  the   content   of  the  printed  page. 
Often  it  is  best  to  face  the  class. 

22.  The  teacher  should  occasionally  read  a  pas- 
sage in  the  best  style  for  the  pupils,  not  for  direct 
imitation,  but  to  suggest  the  higher  ideals  and  spirit 
of  good  reading.     A  high  standard  is  thus  set  up. 

23.  Children   should   be  encouraged  to  learn   by 
heart  the  passages  they  like.     In  the  midst  of  the 
recitation  it  is  well  occasionally  to  memorize  a  pas- 
sage. 

24:  The  teacher  must  drill  himself  in  clear-cut 
enunciation  of  short  vowels,  final  consonants,  and 
pure  vowel  sounds.  Cultivate  also  a  quick  ear  for 
accurate  enunciation  in  the  pupils  and  for  pleasing 
tones.  Frequent  drill  exercise,  singly  and  in  con- 
cert, is  necessary. 

25.  Use  ingenuity  by  indirect  methods  to   over- 
come nasality,   stuttering,   nervously  rapid   reading, 
slovenly  and  careless  expression,  monotone,  and  sing- 
song. 

26.  By  means  of  physical  training,  deep  breathing, 
vigorous    thought    work,     encourage    to    self-reliant 
manner  and  good  physical  position. 

27.  Give  variety  to  each  lesson ;  avoid  monotony 
and  humdrum. 

28.  Each    lesson    should   emphasize   a  particular 


SUMMARY    OF    SIGNIFICANT    POINTS    IN    READING     1/5 

aim,  determined  by  the  nature  of  the  selection  or  by 
the  previous  bad  habits  and  faults  of  the  children 
in  reading.  It  is  impossible  to  give  proper  emphasis 
to  all  things  in  each  lesson,  and  indefiniteness  and 
monotony  are  the  result. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER 

IN  discussing  the  value  and  fruitfulness  of  this 
field  of  study  to  children,  it  is  impossible  to  forbear 
the  suggestion  of  its  scope  and  significance  for 
teachers.  If  the  masters  of  song  and  expression 
are  able  to  work  so  strongly  upon  the  immature 
minds  of  children,  how  much  deeper  the  influence 
upon  the  mature  and  thoughtful  minds  of  teachable 
teachers !  They  above  all  others  should  have  dis- 
positions receptive  of  the  best  educational  influences. 
The  duties  and  experiences  of  their  daily  work  pre- 
dispose them  toward  an  earnest  and  teachable  spirit. 
In  very  many  cases,  therefore,  their  minds  are  wide 
open  to  the  reception  of  the  best.  And  how  deep 
and  wide  and  many-sided  is  this  enfranchisement  of 
the  soul  through  literature  ! 

It  is  a  gateway  to  history ;  not,  however,  that  cast- 
away shell  which  our  text-books,  in  the  form  of  a  dull 
recital  of  facts,  call  history ;  but  its  heart  and  soul, 
the  living,  breathing  men  and  women,  the  source 
and  incentive  of  great  movements  and  struggles 
toward  the  light.  Literature  does  not  make  the 
study  of  history  superfluous,  but  it  puts  a  purpose 

176 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER   177 

into  history  which  lies  deeper  than  the  facts,  it  sifts 
out  the  wheat  from  the  chaff,  casts  aside  the  super- 
ficial and  accidental,  and  gets  down  into  the  deep 
current  of  events  where  living  causes  are  at  work. 

The  "  Courtship  of  Miles  Standish,"  for  example, 
is  deeper  and  stronger  than  history  because  it  ideal- 
izes the  stern  and  rigid  qualities  of  the  Puritan,  while 
John  Alden  and  Priscilla  touch  a  deeper  universal 
sympathy,  and  body  forth  in  forms  of  beauty  that 
pulsing  human  love  which  antedates  the  Puritan  and 
underlies  all  forms  of  religion  and  society. 

Illustrative  cases  have  been  given  in  sufficient 
abundance  to  show  that  literature,  among  other 
things,  has  a  strong  political  side.  It  grasps  with 
a  master  hand  those  questions  which  involve  true 
patriotism.  It  exalts  them  into  ideals,  and  fires  the 
hearts  of  the  people  to  devotion  and  sacrifice  for 
their  fulfilment. 

Burke's  "  Oration  on  the  American  War"  is,  to  one 
who  has  studied  American  history,  an  astonishing 
confirmation  of  how  righteous  and  far-sighted  were 
the  principles  for  which  Samuel  Adams  and  the 
other  patriots  struggled  at  the  opening  of  the  Revo- 
lution. Webster's  speech  at  Bunker  Hill  is  a  graphic 
and  fervent  retrospect  on  the  past  of  a  great  struggle, 
and  a  prophetic  view  of  the  swelling  tide  of  indi- 
vidual, social,  and  national  well-being. 

If  the  teacher  is  to  interpret  history  to  school 
children,  he  must  learn  to  grasp  what  is  essential 


1/8  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

and  vital;  he  must  be  able  to  discriminate  between 
those  events  which  are  trivial  and  those  of  lasting 
concern.  The  study  of  our  best  American  literature 
will  reveal  to  him  this  distinction,  and  make  him  a 
keen  and  comprehensive  critic  of  political  affairs. 

Barnett,  in  his  "  Common  Sense  in  Education  and 
Teaching  "  (p.  170),  says:  — 

"  In  the  second  place,  literature  provides  us  with 
historical  landmarks.  We  cannot  be  said  to  under- 
stand the  general '  history '  of  a  particular  time  unless 
we  know  something  of  the  thought  that  stirred  its 
most  subtle  thinkers,  and  interpreted  and  made  articu- 
late the  spirit  of  the  times  in  which  they  lived.  The 
most  notable  facts  in  the  history  of  the  times  of 
Edward  III,  of  Elizabeth,  and  of  Victoria  are  that 
Chaucer  and  Shakespeare  and  Tennyson  and  their 
contemporaries  lived  and  wrote.  Political  history, 
social  history,  economic  history,  even  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory, are  all  reflected,  illustrated,  and  interpreted  by 
what  we  find  in  the  great  works  of  contemporary 
literature." 

Charles  Kingsley,  in  his  "  Literary  and  General 
Essays"  (p.  249),  holds  a  like  opinion:  — 

"  I  said  that  the  ages  of  history  were  analogous  to 
the  ages  of  man,  and  that  each  age  of  literature  was 
the  truest  picture  of  the  history  of  its  day,  and  for 
this  very  reason  English  literature  is  the  best,  per- 
haps the  only,  teacher  of  English  history,  to  women 
especially.  For  it  seems  to  me  that  it  is  principally  by 


UNIVERSITY  ) 

THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER   1 79 

the  help  of  such  an  extended  literary  course  that  we 
can  cultivate  a  just  and  enlarged  taste  which  will  con- 
nect education  with  the  deepest  feelings  of  the  heart." 
Literature  is  also  a  mirror  that  reflects  many  sides 
of  social  life  and  usage.  There  is  no  part  of  a 
teacher's  education  that  is  so  vital  to  his  practical 
success  as  social  culture.  John  Locke's  "Thoughts 
on  Education  "  are,  in  the  main,  an  inquiry  into  the 
methods  and  means  by  which  an  English  gentleman 
can  be  formed.  The  aim  of  the  tutor  who  has  this 
difficult  task  is  not  chiefly  to  give  learning,  to  fill  the 
mind  with  information,  to  develop  mentality,  but  to 
train  the  practical  judgment  in  harmony  with  gentle- 
manly conduct.  The  tutor,  himself  a  scholar,  is  to 
know  the  world,  its  ins  and  outs,  its  varieties  of  social 
distinction  and  usage,  its  snares  and  pitfalls,  its  wise 
men  and  fools.  The  child  is  to  learn  to  look  the 
world  in  the  face  and  understand  it,  to  know  himself 
and  to  be  master  of  himself  and  of  his  conduct,  to 
appreciate  other  people  in  their  moods  and  characters, 
and  to  adapt  himself  prudently  and  with  tact  to  the 
practical  needs.  The  gentleman  whom  Locke  sets 
up  as  his  ideal  is  not  a  fashion-plate  figure,  not  a 
drawing-room  gallant,  but  a  clear-headed  man  who 
understands  other  people  and  himself,  and  has  been 
led  by  insensible  degrees  to  so  shape  his  habitual 
conduct  as  most  wisely  to  answer  his  needs  in  the 
real  world.  Emerson,  with  all  his  lofty  idealism  and 
unconventionalism,  has  an  ideal  of  education  nearly 


ISO  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

akin  to  that  of  Locke.  This  social  ideal  of  Locke 
and  Emerson  is  one  that  American  teachers  can  well 
afford  to  ponder.  As  a  nation,  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  think  that  a  certain  amount  of  roughness 
and  boorishness  was  necessary  as  a  veil  to  cover  the 
strongest  manly  qualities.  Smoothness  and  tact  and 
polish,  however  successful  they  may  be  in  real  life, 
are,  theoretically  at  least,  at  a  discount.  The  Adamses, 
Jefferson,  Jackson,  Lincoln,  Thoreau,  were  men  who 
did  violence  in  a  good  many  ways  to  social  usages, 
and  we  may  admire  their  faults  overmuch. 

To  the  teacher  who  stands  in  the  presence  of  thirty 
or  fifty  distinct  species  of  incipient  men  and  women, 
social  insight  and  culture,  the  ability  to  appreciate 
each  in  his  individual  traits,  his  strength  or  weakness, 
are  a  prime  essential  to  good  educative  work. 

Now,  there  are  two  avenues  through  which  social 
culture  is  attainable,  —  contact  with  men  and  women 
in  the  social  environment  which  envelops  us  all,  and 
literature.  Literature  is,  first  of  all,  a  hundred-sided 
revelation  of  human  conduct  as  springing  from  motive. 
Irving,  Hawthorne,  Longfellow,  Holmes,  and  Lowell 
are  revealers  of  humanity.  Still  more  so  are  Dickens 
and  Eliot  and  Shakespeare  and  Goethe.  To  study 
these  authors  is  not  simply  to  enjoy  the  graphic 
power  of  an  artist,  but  to  look  into  the  lives  of  so 
many  varieties  of  men  and  women.  They  lay  bare 
the  heart  and  its  inward  promptings.  Our  apprecia- 
tion for  many  forms  of  life  under  widely  differing 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER  l8l 

conditions  is  awakened.  We  come  in  touch  with 
those  typical  varieties  of  men  and  women  whom  we 
shall  daily  meet  if  we  will  but  notice.  It  broadens 
one's  perceptions  and  sympathies,  it  reveals  the 
many-sidedness  of  human  life.  It  suggests  to  a 
teacher  that  the  forty  varieties  of  humanity  in  her 
schoolroom  are  not  after  one  pattern,  nor  to  be 
manipulated  according  to  a  single  device. 

The  social  life  that  surrounds  each  one  of  us  is 
small  and  limited.  Our  intimate  companionships  are 
few,  and  we  can  see  deeply  into  the  inner  life  of  but 
a  small  portion  even  of  those  about  us.  The  deeper 
life  of  thought  and  feeling  is  largely  covered  up  with 
conventionalities  and  externalities.  But  in  the  works 
of  the  best  novelists,  dramatists,  and  poets,  we  may 
look  abroad  into  the  whole  world  of  time  and  place, 
upon  an  infinite  variety  of  social  conditions,  and  we 
are  permitted  to  see  directly  into  the  inner  thought 
and  motive,  the  very  soul  of  the  actors.  Yet  fidelity 
to  human  nature  and  real  life  is  claimed  to  be  the 
peculiar  merit  of  these  great  writers.  By  the  com- 
mon consent  of  critics,  Shakespeare  is  the  prince  of 
character  delineators.  Schlegel  says  of  him  :  — 

"  Shakespeare's  knowledge  of  mankind  has  become 
proverbial ;  in  this  his  superiority  is  "so  great  that  he 
has  justly  been  called  the  master  of  the  human  heart. 
A  readiness  to  remark  the  mind's  fainter  and  invol- 
untary utterances,  and  the  power  to  express  with  cer- 
tainty the  meaning  of  these  signs,  as  determined  by 


1 82  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

experience  and  reflection,  constitute  'the  observer  of 
men.' " 

"  After  all,  a  man  acts  so  because  he  is  so.  And 
what  each  man  is,  that  Shakespeare  reveals  to  us 
most  immediately ;  he  demands  and  obtains  our  be- 
lief, even  for  what  is  singular  and  deviates  from  the 
ordinary  course  of  nature.  Never  perhaps  was  there 
so  comprehensive  a  talent  for  characterization  as 
Shakespeare.  It  not  only  grasps  every  diversity  of 
rank,  age,  and  sex,  down  to  the  lispirigs  of  infancy ; 
not  only  do  the  king  and  the  beggar,  the  hero  and 
the  pickpocket,  the  sage  and  the  idiot,  speak  and  act 
with  equal  truthfulness ;  not  only  does  he  transport 
himself  to  distant  ages  and  foreign  nations,  and  por- 
tray with  the  greatest  accuracy  (a  few  apparent  vio- 
lations of  costume  excepted)  the  spirit  of  the  ancient 
Romans,  of  the  French  in  the  wars  with  the  English, 
of  the  English  themselves  during  a  great  part  of  their 
history,  of  the  Southern  Europeans  (in  the  serious 
part  of  many  comedies),  the  cultivated  society  of  the 
day,  and  the  rude  barbarism  of  a  Norman  foretime ; 
his  human  characters  have  not  only  such  depth  and 
individuality  that  they  do  not  admit  of  being  classed 
under  common  names,  and  are  inexhaustible  even  in 
conception,  —  no,  this  Prometheus  not  merely  forms 
men,  he  opens  the  gates  of  the  magical  world  of 
spirits." 

What  is  true  of  Shakespeare  in  a  preeminent 
degree  is  true  to  a  marked  extent  of  all  the  great 
novelists  and  poets. 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER  183 

The  teacher  needs  to  possess  great  versatility  and 
tact  in  social  situations.  A  quick  insight,  social 
ease,  freedom,  and  self-possession  are  of  the  first 
importance  to  him.  The  power  of  sympathy,  of 
appreciation  for  others'  feelings  and  difficulties,  is 
wholly  dependent  upon  such  social  cultivation. 
Otherwise  the  teacher  will  be  rude,  even  uncouth 
and  boorish  in  manner,  producing  friction  and  ill- 
will  where  tact  and  gentleness  would  bring  sympathy 
and  confidence.  Many  people  absorb  this  refine- 
ment of  thought  and  manner  from  the  social  circles 
with  which  they  mingle,  and  it  is,  of  course,  a  smil- 
ing fortune  that  has  placed  a  teacher's  early  life  in 
a  happy  and  cultured  atmosphere,  where  the  social 
sympathies  and  graces  are  absorbed  almost  uncon- 
sciously. But  even  where  the  earlier  conditions 
have  been  less  favorable,  the  opportunity  for  rapid 
social  development  and  culture  is  most  promising. 
The  numberless  cases  in  our  country  in  which  young 
people,  by  the  strength  of  their  energetic  purpose 
and  desire  for  improvement,  have  raised  themselves 
not  only  to  superior  knowledge  and  scholarship,  but 
also  to  that  far  greater  refinement  of  social  life  and 
manner  which  we  call  true  culture,  —  the  numberless 
instances  of  this  sort  are  a  surprising  indication  of 
the  power  of  education.  Literature  has  been  a 
potent  agent  in  this  direction.  It  emancipates,  it 
sets  free,  the  spirit  of  man.  It  lifts  him  above  what 
is  sordid  and  material,  and  gives  him  those  true 


184  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

standards  of  worth  with  which  to  measure  all  things. 
It  contains  within  itself  the  refining  elements,  the 
aesthetic  and  ethical  ideals,  and,  best  of  all,  it  por- 
trays human  life  in  all  its  thought,  feeling,  and 
passion  with  such  intensity  and  realistic  fidelity  that 
its  teaching  power  is  unparalleled. 

This  potentiality  of  the  better  literature  to  produce 
such  noble  results  in  the  higher  range  of  culture  is 
dependent  upon  conditions.  No  one  will  understand 
literature  who  does  not  study  and  understand  ordi- 
nary life  as  it  surrounds  him ;  who  does  not  con- 
stantly draw  upon  his  own  experience  in  interpreting 
the  characters  portrayed  in  books.  No  stupid  or 
unobservant  person  will  be  made  wise  through  books, 
be  they  never  so  choice.  Even  the  student  who 
works  laboriously  at  his  text-books,  but  has  no  eye 
nor  care  for  the  people  or  doings  about  him,  is  get- 
ting only  the  mechanical  side  of  education,  and  is 
losing  the  better  part.  He  who  will  draw  riches  out 
of  books  must  put  his  intellect  and  sympathy,  his 
whole  enthusiastic  better  self,  into  them. 

The  indwelling  virtue  of  great  books  is  that  they 
demand  this  intense  awakening,  this  complete  absorp- 
tion of  the  whole  self.  The  mind  of  a  child  and  of 
a  man  or  woman  has  to  stretch  itself  to  the  utmost 
limit  to  take  in  the  message  of  a  great  writer.  One 
feels  the  old  barriers  giving  way  and  the  mind  ex- 
panding to  the  conception  of  larger  things.  Speak- 
ing of  the  ancient  drama  at  Athens,  Shelley  says, 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER  185 

"The  imagination  is  enlarged  by  a  sympathy  with 
pains  and  passions  so  mighty  that  they  distend  in 
their  conception  the  capacity  of  that  by  which  they 
are  conceived." 

Those  who  have  received  into  the  inner  self  the 
expansive  energy  of  noble  thought  and  social  culture, 
are  the  better  qualified,  from  the  rich  variety  of  the 
inner  life,  to  act  effectively  upon  the  complex  con- 
ditions and  forces  of  the  outer  world.  The  teacher 
whose  inner  life  is  teeming  with  these  rich  sympa- 
thies and  potent  ideals  will  react  with  greater  pru- 
dence and  tact  upon  the  kaleidoscopic  conditions  of 
a  school. 

Practical  social  life  and  literature  are  not  distinct 
modes  of  culture.  They  are  one,  they  interact  upon 
each  other  in  scores  of  ways.  Give  a  teacher  social 
opportunities,  give  him  the  best  of  our  literature,  let 
these  two  work  their  full  influence  upon  him,  —  then, 
if  he  cannot  become  a  teacher,  it  is  a  hopeless  case. 
Let  him  go  to  the  shop,  to  the  farm,  to  the  legisla- 
ture ;  there  is  no  place  for  him  in  the  schoolroom. 

Literature  is  also  a  sharp  and  caustic  critic  of  his 
own  follies  or  foibles,  to  one  who  can  reflect.  It  has 
a  multitude  of  surprises  by  which  we  are  able,  as 
Burns  wished, — 

"To  see  oursels  as  ithers  see  us." 

Even  the  schoolmaster  finds  an  occasional  apt  de- 
scription of  himself  in  literature  which  it  is  often 


1 86  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

interesting  and  entertaining  for  him  to  ponder.  One 
of  the  most  familiar  is  that  of  Goldsmith  in  "The 
Deserted  Village  "  :  - 

"  Beside  yon  straggling  fence  that  skirts  the  way 
With  blossom'd  furze  unprofitably  gay, 
There,  in  his  noisy  mansion,  skill'd  to  rule, 
The  village  master  taught  his  little  school. 
A  man  severe  he  was,  and  stern  to  view ; 
I  knew  him  well,  and  every  truant  knew  : 
Well  had  the  boding  tremblers  learn'd  to  trace 
The  day^  disasters  in  his  morning  face  ; 
Full  well  they  laugh'd,  with  counterfeited  glee, 
At  all  his  jokes,  for  many  a  joke  had  he  ; 
Full  well  the  busy  whisper,  circling  round, 
Conveyed  the  dismal  tidings  when  he  frown'd. 
Yet  he  was  kind,  or,  if  severe  in  aught, 
The  love  he  bore  to  learning  was  in  fault. 
The  village  all  declar'd  how  much  he  knew ; 
'Twas  certain  he  could  write,  and  cipher  too ; 
Lands  he  could  measure,  terms  and  tides  presage, 
And  even  the  story  ran  that  he  could  gauge ; 
In  arguing,  too,  the  parson  own'd  his  skill, 
For  even  though  vanquish'd  he  could  argue  still; 
While  words  of  learned  length  and  thundering  sound 
Amaz'd  the  gazing  rustics  ranged  around ; 
And  still  they  gaz'd,  and  still  the  wonder  grew 
That  one  small  head  could  carry  all  he  knew." 

A  like  entertainment  and  suggestion  of  what  the 
schoolmaster  may  be,  as  seen  by  others,  are  fur- 
nished by  Irving's  Ichabod  Crane.  William  Shen- 
stone's  description  of  the  schoolmistress  and  the 
school  near  two  hundred  years  ago  in  his  native 
village,  is  very  diverting.  Charles  Dickens' s  descrip- 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER  l8/ 

tion  of  schools  and  schoolmasters  is  important  in 
the  history  of  England,  and,  like  his  portrayals 
of  child  life  generally,  of  deep  pedagogical  worth 
to  teachers. 

In  his  book,  "The  Schoolmaster  in  Literature," 
Mr.  Skinner  has  done  a  real  service  to  the  teaching 
world  in  bringing  together,  into  a  convenient  com- 
pilation from  many  sources,  the  literature  bearing 
directly  upon  the  schoolmaster.  Even  the  comic 
representations  and  caricatures  are  valuable  in  call- 
ing attention  to  common  foibles  and  mannerisms,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  more  serious  faults  of  teachers. 

It  is  in  literature,  also,  and  in  those  lives  and 
scenes  from  history  which  literary  artists  have 
worked  up,  that  the  teacher  can  best  develop  his 
own  moral  ideals  and  strengthen  the  groundwork  of 
his  own  moral  character.  The  stream  will  not  rise 
above  its  source,  and  a  teacher's  moral  influence  in 
a  school  will  not  reach  above  the  inspirations  from 
high  sources  which  he  himself  has  felt.  Those 
teachers  who  have  devoted  themselves  solely  to  the 
mastery  of  the  texts  they  teach,  who  have  read  little 
from  our  best  writers,  are  drawing  upon  a  slender 
capital  of  moral  resource.  Not  even  if  home  influ- 
ences have  laid  a  sound  basis  of  moral  habits  are 
these  sufficient  reserves  for  the  exigencies  of  teach- 
ing. The  moral  nature  of  the  teacher  needs  con- 
stant stimulus  to  upward  growing,  and  the  children 
need  examples,  ideal  illustrations,  life  and  blood  im- 


1 88  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

personations  of  the  virtues  ;  and  literature  is  the  chief 
and  only  safe  reservoir  from  which  to  draw  them. 

We  have  already  discussed  the  moral  value  of  the 
right  books  for  children.  The  lessons  of  the  great 
works  are  so  profound  in  this  respect  that  they  offer 
a  still  wider  range  of  study  to  the  teacher.  Even 
the  foremost  thinkers  and  philosophers  have  found 
therein  an  inexhaustible  source  of  truth  and  wisdom. 

In  the  Foreword  to  his  "Great  Books  as  Life 
Teachers,"  Newell  Dwight  Hillis  says,  "  For  some 
reason  our  generation  has  closed  its  text-books  on 
ethics  and  morals,  and  opened  the  great  poems, 
essays,  and  novels."  This  is  a  remarkable  statement 
and  is  the  key-note  to  a  silent  but  sweeping  change 
in  education.  He  adds,  "Doubtless  for  thoughtful 
persons  this  fact  argues,  not  a  decline  of  interest  in 
the  fundamental  principles  of  right  living,  but  a 
desire  to  study  these  principles  as  they  are  made 
flesh  and  embodied  in  living  persons."  Again,  "  It 
seems  important  to  remember  that  the  great  novel- 
ists are  consciously  or  unconsciously  teachers  of 
morals,  while  the  most  fascinating  essays  and  poems 
are  essentially  books  of  aspiration  and  spiritual 
culture." 

It  is  suggestive  to  note  that  this  fundamental  text 
is  worked  out  in  his  book  by  chapters  on  Ruskin's 
"Seven  Lamps  of  Architecture,"  George  Eliot's 
"Romola,"  Hawthorne's  "Scarlet  Letter,"  Victor 
Hugo's  "  Les  Miserables,"  Tennyson's  "  Idylls  of 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER  1  89 

the  King,"  and  Browning's  "  Saul."  This  suggests 
a  fruitful  line  of  studies  for  every  teacher. 

Among  modern  essayists,  Emerson,  Carlyle,  Rus- 
kin,  and  Matthew  Arnold  stand  preeminent,  and  they 
are  already  well  established  among  the  mightiest 
teachers  of  our  age,  and  it  may  be,  of  many  to 
come.  Sure  it  is  that  teachers  could  not  do  better 
than  put  themselves  within  earshot  of  these  reso- 
nant voices.  Their  heart-strings  will  vibrate  and 
their  intellects  will  be  stretched  to  a  full  tension, 
not  simply  by  the  music,  but  by  the  truth  which 
surges  up  and  bursts  into  utterance.  It  is  scarcely 
a  figure  of  speech  to  say  that  the  lightning  flashes 
across  their  pages.  The  stinging  rebuke  of  wrong, 
the  noble  ideals  of  righteousness,  place  them  among 
the  prophets  whose  tongues  have  been  touched  with 
fire  from  the  altar. 

Besides  the  historical,  social,  and  moral  tuition  for 
teachers  in  literature,  there  are  several  other  impor- 
tant culture  effects  in  it.  The_deepest  relijOQUS  Jn- 
centives  are  touched,  nature  in  her  myriad  phases  is 
observed  with  the  eye  of  the  poet  and  scientist,  and 
the  aesthetic  side  of  poetry  and  rhythmic  prose,  its 
charm  and  graces  of  style,  its  music  and  eloquence, 
work  their  influence  upon  the  reader.  Literature  is 
a  harp  of  many  strings,  and  happy  is  that  teacher 
who  has  learned  to  detect  its  tones  and  overtones, 
who  has  listened  with  pleasure  to  its  varied  raptures, 
and  has  felt  that  expansion  of  soul  which  it  produces. 


OF 


I9O  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

Literature,  in  the  sense  in  which  we  have  been 
using  it,  has  been  called  the  literature  of  power,  the 
literature  of  the  spirit.  That  is,  it  has  generative, 
spiritual  life.  It  is  not  simple  knowledge,  it  is 
knowledge  energized,  charged  with  potency.  It  is 
knowledge  into  which  the  poet  has  breathed  the 
breath  of  life.  The  difference  between  bare  knowl- 
edge and  the  literature  of  power  is  like  the  differ- 
ence between  a  perfect  statue  in  stone  and  a  living, 
pulsing,  human  form. 

One  of  the  virtues  of  literature,  therefore,  is  the 
mental  stimulus,  the  joy,  the  awakening,  the  inten- 
sity of  thought  it  spontaneously  calls  forth.  Text- 
books are  usually  a  bore,  but  literature  is  a  natural 
resource  even  in  hours  of  weariness.  Who  would 
dream  of  enlivening  leisure  hours  or  vacation  rest 
with  text-books  of  grammar,  or  arithmetic,  or  his- 
tory, or  science  ?  But  the  poet  soothes  with  music, 
solemn  or  gay,  according  to  our  choice.  If  we  go  to 
the  woods  or  lakes  to  escape  our  friends,  we  take  one 
of  the  masters  of  song  with  us.  After  a  day  of  toil 
and  weariness,  we  can  turn  to  "  Evangeline,"  or 
"  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  or  the  "  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal," 
and  soon  we  are  listening  to  — 

"  The  murmuring  pines  and  the  hemlocks," 
or  the  echo  of  the  hunter's  horn,  — 

"  The  deep-mouthed  bloodhound's  heavy  bay 
Resounded  up  the  rocky  way, 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER   IQI 

And  faint,  from  farther  distance  borne, 
Were  heard  the  clanging  hoof  and  horn." 


At  a  time  when  we  are  not  fit  for  the  irksome  and 
perfunctory  preparation  of  text-book  lessons,  we  are 
still  capable  of  receiving  abundant  entertainment  or 
hearty  inspiration  from  Warner's  "  How  I  killed  a 
Bear,"  or  Tennyson's  "Enoch  Arden,"  or  "  Sleepy 
Hollow."  Literature  is  recreation  in  its  double 
sense.  It  gives  rest  and  relief,  and  it  builds  up. 

Teachers  should  shake  themselves  free  from  the 
conviction  that  severe  disciplinary  studies  are  the 
best  part  of  education.  They  have  their  well- 
merited  place.  But  there  are  higher  spiritual  foun- 
tains from  which  to  draw.  Read  the  lives  of  Scott, 
Macaulay,  Irving,  Hawthorne,  and  Emerson,  and 
discover  that  the  things  we  do  with  the  greatest 
inward  spontaneity  and  pleasure  and  ease  are  often 
the  best. 

Literature,  both  in  prose  and  verse,  is  what  the 
teacher  needs,  because  our  best  authors  are  our 
best  teachers  in  their  method  of  handling  their  sub- 
jects. They  know  how  to  find  access  to  the  reader's 
mind  by  making  their  ideas  attractive,  interesting, 
and  beautiful.  They  seem  to  know  how  to  sharpen 
the  edge  of  truth  to  render  it  more  keen  and  inci- 
sive. They  drive  truth  deeper,  so  that  it  remains 
embedded  in  the  life  and  thought.  Let  a  poet  clothe 
an  idea  with  strength  and  wing  it  with  fancy,  and  it 


IQ2  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

will  find  its  way  straight  to  the  heart.  First  of  all, 
nearly  all  our  classic  writers,  especially  those  we 
use  in  the  grades,  handle  their  subjects  from  the 
concrete,  graphic,  picturesque  side.  They  not  only 
illustrate  abundantly  from  nature  and  real  things  hi 
life;  they  nearly  always  individualize  and  personify 
their  ideas.  Virtue  to  a  poet  is  nothing  unless  it 
is  impersonated.  A  true  poet  is  never  abstract  or 
dry  or  formal  in  his  treatment  of  a  subject.  It  is 
natural  for  a  literary  artist,  whether  in  verse  or  prose, 
to  create  pictures,  to  put  all  his  ideas  into  life  forms 
and  bring  them  close  to  the  real  ones  in  nature. 
Homer's  idea  of  wisdom  is  Minerva,  war  is  Mars, 
strength  is  Ajax,  skill  and  prudence  are  Ulysses, 
faithfulness  is  Penelope.  Dickens  does  not  talk  about 
schoolmasters  in  general,  but  of  Squeers.  Shake- 
speare's idea  of  jealousy  is  not  a  definition,  not  a 
formula,  but  Othello.  Those  books  which  have 
enthralled  the  world,  like  "  Robinson  Crusoe,"  "  Pil- 
grim's Progress,"  "  Gulliver's  Travels,"  "  Arabian 
Nights,"  "  Evangeline,"  "  Ivanhoe,"  "Merchant  of 
Venice," — they  deal  with  no  form  of  classified  or 
generalized  knowledge ;  they  give  us  no  definitions, 
they  are  scenes  from  real  life.  They  stand  among 
realities,  and  their  roots  are  down  in  the  soil  of 
things.  They  are  persons  hemmed  in  by  the  close 
environment  of  facts. 

This  realism,  this  objectifying  of  thought,  this  liv- 
ing form  of  knowledge,  is  characteristic  of  all  great 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER   1 93 

writers  in  prose  or  verse.  The  novelist,  the  romancer, 
the  poet,  the  orator,  and  even  the  essayist,  will  always 
put  the  breath  of  reality  into  his  work  by  an  infu- 
sion of  concreteness,  of  graphic  personification.  The 
poet's  fancy,  building  out  of  the  abundant  materials 
of  sense-experience,  is  what  gives  color  and  warmth 
to  all  his  thoughts.  Strong  writers  make  incessant 
use  of  figures  of  speech.  Their  thought  must  clothe 
itself  with  the  whole  panoply  of  imagery  and  graphic 
representation  in  order  to  be  efficient  in  the  warfare 
for  truth. 

What  a  lesson  for  the  teacher !  What  models  upon 
which  to  develop  his  style  of  thinking  !  If  the  teach- 
ing profession  and  its  work  could  be  weighed  in  the 
balance,  the  scale  would  fall  on  the  side  of  the 
abstract  with  a  heavy  thud.  Not  that  object  lessons 
will  save  us.  They  only  parody  the  truth.  For  the 
object  lesson  as  a  separate  thing  we  have  no  use  at 
all.  But  to  ground  every  idea  and  every  study  in 
realism,  to  pass  up  steadily  through  real  objects  and 
experience  to  a  perception  of  truths  which  have  wide 
application,  to  science  —  this  is  the  true  philosophy 
of  teaching. 

The  classic  writers  lead  us  even  one  grand  step 
beyond  realism.  The  fancy  builds  better  than  the 
cold  reason.  It  adorns  and  ennobles  thought  till  it 
becomes  full-fledged  for  the  flight  toward  the  ideal. 

As  the  poet,  standing  by  the  sea-shore,  ponders  the 
life  that  has  been  in  the  now  empty  shell  washed  up 


IQ4  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

from  the  deep,  his  fancy  discovers  in  the  shell  a  re- 
semblance to  human  life  and  destiny,  and  he  cries :  — 

"  Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  O  my  soul, 
As  the  swift  seasons  roll  ! 
Leave  thy  low-vaulted  past ! 
Let  each  new  temple,  nobler  than  the  last, 
Shut  thee  from  heaven  with  a  dome  more  vast, 
Till  thou  at  length  art  free, 
Leaving  thine  outgrown  shell  by  life's  unresting  sea  ! " 

Is  it  possible  that  one  could  fall  under  the  sway  of 
the  poets  and  artists,  appropriate  their  images  and 
fruitful  style  of  thought,  be  wrought  upon  by  their 
fancies,  and  still  remain  dull  and  lifeless  and  prosaic 
in  the  class-room  ?  No  wonder  that  true  literature 
has  been  called  the  literature  of  power,  as  distin- 
guished from  the  literature  of  knowledge  (supple- 
mentary readers,  pure  science,  information  books, 
etc.).  The  lives  and  works  of  our  best  writers  con- 
tain an  expansive  spiritual  energy,  which,  working 
into  the  mind  of  a  teacher,  breaks  the  shell  of 
mechanism  and  formality.  The  artist  gives  bright 
tints  and  colors  to  ideas  which  would  otherwise  be 
faded  and  bleached. 

The  study  of  the  best  literature  adapted  to  chil- 
dren in  each  age  is  a  fruitful  form  of  psychology  and 
child  study.  The  series  of  books  selected  for  the 
different  grades  is  supposed  to  be  adapted  to  the 
children  at  each  period.  The  books  which  suit 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER   195 

the  temper  and  taste  of  children  in  primary  grades 
are  peculiar  in  quality,  and  fit  those  pupils  better 
than  older  ones.  In  intermediate  classes  the  boyhood 
spirit,  which  delights  in  myth,  physical  deeds  of 
prowess,  etc.,  shows  itself,  and  many  of  the  stories, 
ballads,  and  longer  poems  breathe  this  spirit.  In 
grammar  grades  the  expanding,  maturing  minds  of 
children  leap  forward  to  the  appreciation  of  more 
complex  and  extended  forms  of  literature  which  deal 
with  some  of  the  great  problems  of  life  more 
seriously,  as  "  Snow-Bound,"  "  Evangeline,"  "  Roger 
de  Coverley,"  "  Merchant  of  Venice,"  etc. 

Any  poem  or  story  which  is  suited  to  pupils  of  the 
common  school  may  generally  be  used  in  several 
grades.  Hawthorne's  "  Wonder  Book,"  for  instance, 
may  be  used  anywhere  from  the  third  to  the  eighth 
grade  by  a  skilful  teacher.  But  for  us  the  impor- 
tant question  is,  to  what  age  of  children  is  it  best 
adapted?  Where  does  its  style  of  thought  best  fit 
the  temper  of  the  children  ?  The  eighth  grade  may 
read  it  and  get  pleasure  and  good  from  it,  but  it  does 
not  come  up  to  the  full  measure  of  their  needs.  Chil- 
dren of  the  third  grade  cannot  master  it  with  sufficient 
ease,  but  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fourth  or  first  part 
of  the  fifth  grade  it  seems  to  exactly  suit  the  wants, 
that  is,  the  spiritual  wants,  of  the  children.  It  will 
vary,  of  course,  in  different  schools  and  classes.  Now, 
it  is  a  problem  for  our  serious  consideration  to  deter- 
mine what  stories  to  use  and  just  where  each  belongs, 


196  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

within  reasonable  limits.  Let  us  inquire  where 
the  best  culture  effect  can  be  realized  from  each 
book  used,  where  it  is  calculated  to  work  its  best 
and  strongest  influence.  To  accomplish  this  result 
it  is  necessary  to  study  equally  the  temper  of  the 
children  and  the  quality  of  the  books,  to  seek  the 
proper  food  for  the  growing  mind  at  its  different 
stages.  This  is  not  chiefly  a  matter  of  simplicity  or 
complexity  of  language.  Our  readers  are  largely 
graded  by  the  difficulty  of  language.  But  literature 
should  be  distributed  through  the  school  grades 
according  to  its  power  to  arouse  thought  and  interest. 
Language  will  have  to  be  regarded,  but  as  secondary. 
Look  first  to  the  thought  material  which  is  to  engage 
children's  minds,  and  then  force  the  language  into 
subservice  to  that  end.  The  final  test  to  determine 
the  place  of  a  selection  in  the  school  course  must  be 
the  experiment  of  the  class-room.  We  may  exercise 
our  best  judgment  beforehand,  and  later  find  that  a 
classic  belongs  one  or  two  grades  higher  or  lower 
than  we  thought. 

We  really  need  some  comprehensive  principle  upon 
which  to  make  the  selection  of  materials  as  adapted 
to  the  nature  (psychology)  of  children.  The  theory 
of  the  culture  epochs  of  race  history  as  parallel  to 
child  development  offers  at  least  a  suggestion.  A 
few  of  the  great  periods  of  history  seem  to  correspond 
fairly  well  to  certain  epochs  of  child  growth.  The 
age  of  folk-lore  and  the  fairy  tale  is  often  called  the 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER  197 

childhood  of  the  race ;  the  predominance  of  the 
imagination  and  of  the  childlike  interpretation  of 
things  in  nature  reminds  us  strikingly  of  the  fancies 
of  children.  We  find  also  that  the  literary  remains 
of  this  epoch  in  the  world's  history,  the  fairy  tales, 
are  the  peculiar  delight  of  children  from  four  to  six. 
In  like  manner  the  heroic  age  and  its  literary  prod- 
ucts seem  to  fascinate  the  children  of  nine  to  eleven 
years.  In  connection  with  this  theory  it  is  observed 
that  the  greatest  poets  of  the  world  in  different 
countries  are  those  who  have  given  poetic  form  and  ex- 
pression to  the  typical  ideas  and  characters  of  certain 
epochs  of  history.  So  Homer,  Virgil,  Dante,  Milton, 
Scott.  The  best  literature  is,  much  of  it,  the  precipi- 
tate of  the  thought  and  life  of  historical  epochs  in 
race  development.  Experiment  has  shown  that 
much  of  this  literature  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  exert 
strong  culture  influence  upon  children.  Emerson,  in 
his  "  Essay  on  History,"  says  :  "  What  is  the  founda- 
tion of  that  interest  all  men  feel  in  Greek  history,  let- 
ters, art,  and  poetry,  in  all  its  periods,  from  the  Heroic 
or  Homeric  age  down  to  the  domestic  life  of  the 
Athenians  and  Spartans,  four  or  five  centuries  later  ? 
What  but  this,  that  every  man  passes  personally 
through  a  Grecian  period  ? "  And  again  :  "  The  stu- 
dent interprets  the  age  of  chivalry  by  his  own  age  of 
chivalry,  and  the  days  of  maritime  adventure  and  cir- 
cumnavigation by  quite  parallel  miniature  experiences 
of  his  own.  To  the  sacred  history  of  the  world,  he  has 


SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

the  same  key.  When  the  voice  of  a  prophet  out  of  the 
deeps  of  antiquity  merely  echoes  to  him  a  sentiment  of 
his  infancy,  a  prayer  of  his  youth,  he  then  pierces  to  the 
truth  through  all  the  confusion  of  tradition  and  the 
caricature  of  institutions."  The  literary  heritage  of 
the  chief  culture  epochs  is  destined  therefore  to  enter 
as  a  powerful  agent  in  the  education  of  children  in 
our  schools,  and  the  place  of  a  piece  of  literature  in 
history  suggests  at  least  its  place  in  child  culture. 

The  study  of  these  literary  masterpieces,  the  choic- 
est of  the  world,  while  it  offers  a  broad  perspective 
of  history,  also  enters  deep  into  the  psychology  of 
children  and  their  periods  of  growth  and  change. 
What  a  study  for  the  teacher! 

Suppose  now  that  a  wise  selection  of  the  best 
products  for  school  use  had  been  made.  The  books 
for  each  grade  would  respond  not  only  to  the  ability 
but  to  the  characteristic  temper  and  mental  status 
of  children  at  that  age.  The  books  would  arouse 
the  full  compass  of  the  children's  mental  power, 
their  emotional  as  well  as  intellectual  capacities, 
their  sympathy,  interest,  and  feeling.  The  teacher 
who  is  about  to  undertake  the  training  of  these 
children  may  not  know  much  about  children  of  that 
age.  How  can  she  best  put  herself  into  an  attitude 
by  which  she  can  meet  and  understand  the  children 
on  their  own  ground  ?  Not  simply  their  intellectual 
ability  and  standing,  but,  better  still,  their  impulses 
and  sympathies,  their  motives  and  hearts  ?  Most 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER  199 

people,  as  they  reach  maturity  and  advance  in  years, 
have  a  tendency  to  grow  away  from  their  childhood. 
Their  purposes  have  changed  from  those  of  childhood 
to  those  of  mature  life.  They  are  no  longer  interested 
in  the  things  that  interest  children.  Such  things  seem 
trivial  and  even  incomprehensible  to  them. 

Now  the  person  who  is  preparing  to  be  a  teacher 
should  grow  back  into  his  childhood.  Without  losing 
the  dignity  or  purpose  of  mature  life,  he  should  allow 
the  memories  and  sympathies  of  childhood  to  revive. 
The  insight  which  comes  from  companionship  and 
sympathy  with  children  he  needs  in  order  to  guide 
them  with  tact  and  wisdom. 

The  literature  which  belongs  to  any  age  of  child- 
hood is  perhaps  the  best  key  to  the  spirit  and  dispo- 
sition of  that  period.  The  fact  that  it  is  of  permanent 
worth  makes  it  a  fit  instrument  with  which  the  teacher 
may  reawaken  the  dormant  experiences  and  mem- 
ories of  that  period  in  his  own  life.  The  teacher 
who  finds  it  impossible  to  reawaken  his  interest  in  the 
literature  that  goes  home  to  the  hearts  of  children 
has  prima  facie  evidence  that  he  is  not  qualified  to 
stimulate  and  guide  their  mental  movements.  The 
human  element  in  letters  is  the  source  of  its  deep 
and  lasting  power;  the  human  element  in  children 
is  the  centre  of  their  educative  life,  and  he  who  dis- 
regards this  and  thinks  only  of  intellectual  exercises 
is  a  poor  machine.  The  literature  which  children 
appreciate  and  love  is  the  key  to  their  soul  life.  It 


2OO  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

has  power  to  stimulate  teacher  and  pupil  alike,  and 
is  therefore  a  common  ground  where  they  may  both 
stand  and  look  into  each  other's  faces  with  sympathy. 
This  is  not  so  much  the  statement  of  a  theory  as 
a  direct  inference  from  many  observations.  It  has 
been  observed  repeatedly,  in  different  schools  under 
many  teachers,  that  the  "Lady  of  the  Lake,"  "Vision 
of  Sir  Launfal,"  "  Sleepy  Hollow,"  or  "  Merchant  of 
Venice "  have  had  an  astonishing  power  to  bring 
teacher  and  children  into  near  and  cherished  com- 
panionship. It  is  not  possible  to  express  the  profound 
lessons  of  life  that  children  get  from  the  poets.  In 
the  prelude  to  Whittier's  "Among  the  Hills,"  what 
a  picture  is  drawn  of  the  coarse,  hard  lot  of  parents 
and  children  in  an  ungarnished  home,  "so  pinched 
and  bare  and  comfortless,"  while  the  poem  itself,  a 
view  of  that  home  among  the  hills  which  thrift  and 
taste  and  love  have  made, — 

"  Invites  the  eye  to  see  and  heart  to  feel 
The  beauty  and  the  joy  within  their  reach  ; 
Home  and  home  loves  and  the  beatitudes 
Of  nature  free  to  all." 

To  study  such  poetry  in  its  effect  upon  children  is  a 
monopoly  of  the  rich  educational  opportunity  which 
falls  naturally  into  the  hands  of  teachers.  Psychol- 
ogy, as  derived  from  text-books,  is  apt  to  be  cold 
and  formal ;  that  which  springs  from  the  contact  of 
young  minds  with  the  fountains  of  song  lives  and 
breathes.  If  a  teacher  desires  to  fit  herself  for 


THE  VALUE  OF  CLASSICS  TO  THE  TEACHER  2OI 

primary  instruction,  she  can  do  nothing  so  well  calcu- 
lated to  bring  herself  en  rapport  with  little  children 
as  to  read  the  nursery  rhymes,  the  fairy  tales,  fables, 
and  early  myths.  They  bring  her  along  a  charming 
road  into  the  realm  of  childlike  fancies  and  sympa- 
thies, which  were  almost  faded  from  her  memory. 
The  same  door  is  opened  through  well-selected 
literature  to  the  hearts  of  children  in  intermediate 
and  grammar  grades. 

The  sense  of  humor  is  cultivated  in  literature 
better  than  elsewhere.  In  fact,  no  other  study 
contains  much  material  of  humorous  quality.  A 
quick  sense  of  it  is  deemed  by  many  of  the  best 
judges  an  indispensable  quality  in  teachers.  Not 
that  a  teacher  needs  to  be  a  diverting  story-teller 
or  entertainer,  if  only  he  has  an  indulgent  patience 
and  kindly  sympathy  for  those  who  enjoy  telling 
stories.  There  is  a  certain  hearty,  wholesome  social 
spirit  in  the  enjoyment  of  humor  which  diffuses 
itself  like  sunlight  through  a  school.  It  contains  an 
element  of  kindliness,  humanity,  and  good  fellowship 
which  lubricates  all  the  machinery  and  takes  away 
unnecessary  stiffness  and  gravity  in  conduct.  Best 
of  all  it  is  a  sort  of  mental  balance-wheel  for  the 
teacher,  which  enables  him  to  see  the  ludicrous 
phases  of  his  own  behavior,  should  he  be  inclined 
to  run  to  foolish  extremes  in  various  directions. 
Much  of  our  best  literature  abounds  in  humorous 
elements.  Lowell,  Holmes,  Shakespeare,  and  Irving 


202  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

are  spontaneously  rich  in  this  quality  of  ore,  and  it 
is  just  as  well  perhaps  to  cultivate  our  appreciation 
in  these  richer  veins  as  in  shallow  and  unproductive 
ones  elsewhere. 

Schlegel  says  of  Shakespeare,  his  "  comic  talent 
is  equally  wonderful  with  that  he  has  shown  in  the 
pathetic  and  tragic ;  it  stands  at  an  equal  elevation 
and  possesses  equal  extent  and  profundity.  .  .  .  Not 
only  has  he  delineated  many  kinds  of  folly,  but  even 
of  sheer  stupidity  he  has  contrived  to  give  a  most 
diverting  and  entertaining  picture." 

The  inability  to  appreciate  the  ludicrous  and  farci- 
cal, and  especially  of  witty  conceits,  is  felt  to  be  a 
mark  of  dulness  and  heaviness,  and  in  dealing  with 
children  and  young  people  a  versatile  perception  of 
the  humorous  is  very  helpful.  Many  of  the  pupils 
possess  this  quality  of  humor  in  a  marked  degree, 
and  the  teacher  should  at  least  have  sufficient  insight 
to  appreciate  this  peculiar  bent  of  mind  and  turn  of 
wit. 

A  brief  retrospect  will  make  plain  the  profitable- 
ness of  classics  to  the  teacher.  They  show  a  deep 
perspective  into  the  spirit  and  inner  workings  of  his- 
tory. The  social  life  and  insight  developed  by  the 
study  of  literature  give  tact  and  judgment  to  under- 
stand and  respect  the  many-sided  individualities 
found  in  every  school.  The  teacher's  own  moral  and 
aesthetic  and  religious  ideals  are  constantly  lifted  and 
strengthened  by  the  study  of  classics.  Such  reading 


OF  THE  \ 

VERSJTY  J 

THE    VALUE    OF    CLASSICS   TO    THE    TEACHER     2Q3 

is  a  recreation  and  relief  even  in  hours  of  weariness 
and  solitude.  It  is  an  expansive  spiritual  power 
rather  than  a  burden.  Literary  artists  are  also  a 
standing  illustration  of  the  graphic,  spirited  manner 
of  handling  subjects.  Finally,  this  rich  and  varied 
realm  of  classic  thought  and  expression  is  the  door- 
way by  which  we  enter  again  into  the  moods  and 
impulses  and  fancies  of  childhood.  We  thus  revive 
our  own  youth  and  fit  ourselves  for  a  quick  and  ap- 
preciative perception  of  children's  needs.  It  is  the 
best  kind  of  child  study. 

A  few  of  the  books  which  are  suggestive,  and  illus- 
trate the  value  of  literature  for  teachers,  and  in  some 
cases  even  lay  out  lines  of  profitable  and  stimulative 
reading,  are  as  follows  :  — 

Newell  D wight  Hillis.     Great  Books  and  Life  Teachers.  (Flem- 
ing H.  Revell  Co.) 
George  Willis  Cooke.     Poets  and  Problems.     (Houghton,  Mif- 

flin,  &  Co.) 

The  Schoolmaster  in  Literature.     (The  American  Book  Co.) 
Representative  Essays.     (G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons.) 
Hamilton  Wright  Mabie.     Books  and  Culture.     (Dodd,  Mead, 

&Co.) 

James  Baldwin.     The  Book  Lover.     (A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co.) 
The  Schoolmaster  in  Comedy  and  Satire.     (The  American  Book 

Co.) 

Emerson's  Essays. 

Schlegel's  Dramatic  Art  and  Literature.     (Bohn's  Libraries.) 
Ruskin's  Sesame  and  Lilies,  and  Seven  Lamps  of  Architecture. 
Thomas  Wentworth  Higginson,     Book  and  Heart.     (Harper  & 
Brothers.) 


204  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

Carlyle's  Heroes  and  Hero-Worship. 

Counsel  upon  the  Reading  of  Books.     Van  Dyke.     (Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co.) 
Literary  and  General  Essays.     Charles   Kingsley.     (Macmillan 

&Co.) 


CHAPTER  VII 

LIST   OF   BOOKS 

THE  following  list  of  books,  arranged  according  to 
grades,  is  designed  to  supply  the  children  of  the  five 
grades,  from  the  fourth  to  the  eighth  inclusive,  with 
excellent  reading  matter  in  the  form  of  complete 
masterpieces  of  American  and  English  literature. 
It  includes,  besides  the  books  for  regular  reading 
lessons,  a  large  list  of  collateral  and  closely  related 
works  for  the  children  and  also  for  teachers. 

The  books  of  "these  lists  contain  a  rich  and  varied 
fund  of  finest  culture  material,  first  of  all  for  the 
teacher,  and,  through  her  spirit  and  enthusiasm,  for 
the  children. 

Besides  the  general  discussions  of  these  books  in 
the  preceding  chapters,  a  few  additional  explanations 
are  necessary  to  make  plain  the  grounds  upon  which 
this  particular  selection  and  arrangement  of  books  is 
based.  The  whole  purpose  of  the  preceding  chapters 
is  to  throw  light  upon  this  list,  and  to  qualify  the 
teacher  for  an  intelligent  and  efficient  use  of  these 
books  as  school  readers. 

I.  The  books  apportioned  to  each  grade  or  year 
are  divided  into  three  series.  The  first  series  is  care- 

205 


2O6  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

fully  selected  to  serve  as  regular  reading-books  for 
that  grade.  Almost  without  exception  they  are  com- 
plete works,  or  collections  of  complete  poems,  stories, 
etc.  Many  of  .them  are  very  familiar  and  have  been 
much  used  in  the  schools.  The  number  of  books  for 
each  grade  is  large,  so  as  to  have  room  for  choice 
and  adaptation  to  each  class. 

The  second  series  consists  of  closely  related  collat- 
eral readings  derived  from  a  much  wider  range  of 
books  in  literature,  history,  and  science.  Many  of 
these  books  of  the  second  list  are  not  so  strictly  mas- 
terpieces of  literature,  but  of  a  secondary  rank  as 
prose  renderings  of  the  great  poems,  myths,  and 
stories  of  other  languages,  also  American  and  Euro- 
pean history  stories.  These  materials  are  well  adapted 
for  the  reference  studies  and  home  'readings  of  chil- 
dren. They  all  deal  with  interesting  and  worthy 
subjects  of  thought  in  a  superior  style.  Many  of 
these  books,  however,  are  great  and  permanent  works 
of  literature.  They  are  materials,  also,  which  the 
teacher  should  be  familiar  with.  They  should  be 
constantly  referred  to  and  discussed  in  connection 
with  the  first  series.  It  is  quite  probable  that  some 
teachers  will  prefer  books  of  the  second  series  for 
regular  reading  in  the  place  of  some  suggested  in 
the  first  series. 

The  third  series  consists  of  books  for  teachers,  in- 
cluding great  works  of  literature,  history,  and  science, 
which  will  enrich  the  teacher's  knowledge  and  con- 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  2O? 

tribute  to  a  broader  enthusiasm  and  culture.  The 
writings  of  some  of  the  great  essayists,  as  Ruskin, 
Carlyle,  Emerson,  Kingsley,  Motley,  Lowell,  Huxley, 
Macaulay,  and  others,  are  peculiarly  fit  to  broaden 
the  teacher's  horizon  and  ennoble  his  purpose.  Some 
of  the  best  poems  and  novels  suitable  for  advanced 
study  are  mentioned.  There  are  also  books  which 
deal  in  a  comprehensive  and  critical,  but  sympathetic, 
way  with  important  literary  topics,  as  the  myths  and 
great  egics,  the  age  of  chivalry,  and  the  lives  of  the 
most  eminent  writers.  Some  of  the  best  works  of 
biography  and  history  are  also  suggested  for  teachers, 
and  a  number  of  the  best  professional  and  pedagogi- 
cal books  for  teachers,  dealing  with  literature,  read- 
ing, and  child  study. 

2.  This  list  of  books  is  of  course  tentative.  There 
are  other  literary  works  as  good,  perhaps,  but  not  a 
few  difficulties  stand  in  the  way  of  the  best  selection. 
A  few  of  the  best  materials  are  scattered  in  bocks 
not  available  for  school  purposes.  Some  of  the  finest 
of  our  longer  classics  have  not  been  tested  much  in 
school  use.  There  is,  however,  an  abundance  of 
choice  English  works,  complete,  well  printed  and 
bound,  in  cheap,  schoolbook  form.  The  chief  diffi- 
culty, after  all,  is  in  selecting  and  arranging  the  best 
of  an  abundant  and  varied  collection  of  excellent  lit- 
erature. This  inspiring  problem  lies  but  partly  solved 
at  the  threshold  of  every  teacher's  work.  It  requires 
extensive  knowledge  of  literature  and  experience  in 


2O8  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

its  use  in  classes.  A  masterpiece  may  be  read  in 
several  grades,  and  teachers  will  differ  in  judging 
its  true  place.  Schools  and  classes  differ  also  in 
their  capacity  and  previous  preparation  for  classic 
readings,  so  that  no  course  of  reading  will  fit  all 
schools,  or,  perhaps,  any  two  schools.  Many  princi- 
pals will  prefer  to  use  the  books  one  or  two  grades 
lower,  or  higher,  than  here  indicated.  Every  teacher 
should  use  such  a  list  according  to  his  best  individual 
judgment  as  based  upon  the  needs  of  his  school. 
This  list  was  discussed  and  partly  made  out  in  con- 
ference with  a  number  of  experienced  superintend- 
ents, and  much  variety  of  opinion  was  expressed  as 
to  the  best  grade  for  the  use  of  a  number  of  the 
selections. 

3.  The  books  chosen  for  each  grade  are  designed 
to  be  a  suitable  combination  of  prose  and  poetry,  of 
short  and  long  selections  from  history,  science,  and 
letters.  Variety  in  subject-matter  and  style  is  required 
in  each  grade,  although  certain  strong  individual 
characteristics  are  expected  to  appear  in  the  litera- 
ture of  each  year's  work.  Many  of  the  shorter  poems 
fit  in  well  with  longer  masterpieces  in  prose  and 
verse.  Some  of  the  epics,  myths,  and  historical  epi- 
sodes are  told  in  both  prose  and  verse.  The  chil- 
dren may  well  meet  and  study  them  in  both  forms. 
If  from  four  to  six  larger  masterpieces  could  be  read 
each  year,  and  these  could  bring  out  the  style  and 
quality  of  so  many  authors,  if  a  number  of  suitable 


LIST   OF    BOOKS  2OQ 

shorter  pieces  could  be  read  and  related  to  the  for- 
mer, the  many-sided  influence  of  literature  would 
prove  each  year  effective.  Literature  is  the  broadest 
of  all  subjects,  both  as  a  basis  of  culture  and  for  the 
unification  of  the  varied  studies.  It  touches  every 
phase  of  experience  and  knowledge  along  its  higher 
levels,  and  overlooks  the  whole  field  of  life  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  seer  and  poet.  The  classic  read- 
ings should  aim  at  the  completeness,  variety,  and 
elevation  of  thought  which  literature  alone  can  give. 
Every  year's  literature  should  open  the  gates  to 
meadow  and  woodland,  to  park  and  fruitful  fields, 
into  rich  and  shaded  valleys,  and  up  to  free  and 
sunny  hilltops  and  mountains. 

4.  The  list  of  books  for  each  year  includes  two  or 
three  books  of  miscellaneous  collections  of  classics  in 
prose  and  verse.  Many  of  the  selections  are  short  and 
some  fragmentary.  Such  are  the  three  volumes  of 
"  Open  Sesame,"  the  "  Golden  Treasury  of  Songs  and 
Lyrics,"  "  Children's  Treasury  of  English  Song,"  and 
"  Book  of  Golden  Deeds."  In  each  of  the  books  named 
is  found  a  variety  of  material  suited  perhaps  to  two 
or  three  grades.  In  most  of  the  books  just  named  it 
is  not  intended  in  our  plan  that  all  the  selections 
should  be  read  through  in  succession.  It  will  be 
better  for  the  teacher  to  select  from  those  collections 
such  choice  poems,  stories,  etc.,  as  will  enrich  and 
supplement  the  longer  classics,  and  give  that  added 
variety  so  needful.  Many  of  the  finest  poems  in 


2IO  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

our  language  are  short,  and  should  not  be  omitted 
from  our  school  course.  They  should  be  read  and 
some  of  them  memorized  by  the  children.  It  would 
be  well  if  the  teacher  had  in  each  grade  one  or  two 
sets  of  such  books  of  choice  miscellaneous  materials 
from  which  to  select  occasional  reading.  The  regular 
readers  used  by  the  children  would  consist  of  the 
longer  masterpieces,  which  would  be  supplemented 
by  the  shorter  selections.  In  this  way  greater  unity 
and  variety  might  be  achieved  within  the  limits  of 
each  grade. 

5.  Information  books  and  supplementary  readers 
in  history,  geography,  and  natural  science  have  been 
excluded,  in  the  main,  from  our  lists.  The  test  of 
literary  excellence  has  been  applied  to  most  of  the 
books  chosen.  De  Quincey's  distinction  between  the 
literature  of  knowledge  and  that  of  power  is  our  line 
of  demarkation.  It  seems  to  us  probable  that  the 
future  will  call  for  a  still  more  stringent  adherence  to 
this  principle  of  selection.  Information  readers  are 
good  and  necessary  in  their  place  in  geography, 
history,  and  natural  science;  but  they  are  not  good 
enough  to  take  the  place  of  classics  in  reading  lessons. 
The  only  exceptions  to  the  rule  of  classics  are  the 
prose  renderings  of  the  old  classics,  as  the  "  Story  of 
the  Odyssey,"  and  the  biographical  stories  from  his- 
tory. Both  these  have  so  much  of  interest  and  stimu- 
lus for  the  young  that  they  seem  to  harmonize  with  our 
plan.  But  criticism  may  yet  expose  their  inadequacy. 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  211 

It  is  our  plan,  in  brief,  to  limit  the  reading  work 
mainly  to  the  choice  masterpieces  of  the  best  authors, 
and  to  render  these  studies  as  fruitful  as  possible  in 
spiritual  power.  If  supplementary  readings  are  used 
at  all,  let  them  be  those  which  will  strengthen  the 
influence  of  the  classics. 

It  has  been  our  plan  to  collect  in  the  Special 
Method  Books  devoted  to  geography,  history,  and 
natural  science,  a  full  list  of  the  supplementary 
readers  and  information  books  in  those  subjects. 

6.  In  our  list,  however,  is  included  quite  a  number 
of  classic  renderings  of  science  and  nature  topics. 
Such  are  "Wake  Robin,"  "Birds  and  Bees,"  "A 
Hunting  of  the  Deer,"  etc.,  "Sharp  Eyes"  etc., 
"  Succession  of  Forest  Trees,"  "  Up  and  Down  the 
Brooks,"  "Water  Babies,"  "The  Foot-path  Way," 
"  Madam  How  and  Lady  Why,"  "Wilderness  Ways," 
"  In  Bird  Land,"  and  many  others. 

These  books,  however,  belong  to  the  literature  of 
power.  They  look  at  nature  through  the  eyes  of 
poet  and  artist  and  enthusiast.  They  are  not  cold, 
matter-of-fact  delineations.  They  unfold  the  aesthetic 
and  human  side  of  nature,  the  divinity  of  flower  and 
tree.  These  books  are  the  communings  of  the  soul 
with  nature,  and  are  closely  related  in  spirit  to  the 
poems  of  nature  in  Bryant,  Wordsworth,  Tennyson, 
and  other  poets.  There  has  been  a  chasm  between 
them  and  our  text-books  in  science  which  needs 
bridging  over.  Now  that  science  is  beginning  to  be 


212  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

taught  objectively,  experimentally,  and  inductively, 
there  will  be  much  less  of  a  hiatus  at  this  stage,  be- 
cause there  is  so  much  that  is  powerfully  stimulating 
in  nature  study. 

7.  Some  books  are  named  twice  in  the  lists,  first  as 
books  of  reference,  or  in  the  teacher's  lists,  and  in  a 
later  grade  for  the  use  of  children  in  regular  reading. 
We  have  been  especially  careful  in  selecting  appro- 
priate books  in  the  first  list  for  each  grade  adapted 
to  the  age  of  the  children.     These  books  for  regular 
reading  must  be  used  by  every  child,  so  that  they 
should  be  fitted  to  the  average  ability.    The  reference 
books  for  collateral  reading  in  the  second  series  of 
each  grade  may  be  more  difficult  in  some  cases,  as 
they  will  be  used,  in  part,  only  by  the  stronger  pupils. 

There  are  certain  groups  of  kindred  books,  like  the 
Greek  myths,  that  are  distributed  through  three  or 
more  grades.  It  is  not  expected  that  any  child  will 
use  all  of  these  books,  as  several  of  them  may  deal 
with  the  same  story,  like  the  "  Iliad"  or  "  Odyssey." 
It  seemed  best  to  include  all  the  important  renderings 
of  these  stories,  and  leave  the  teacher  to  choose 
among  them  for  his  class. 

8.  To  give  more  specific  aid  to  teachers,  most  of 
the  books  are  briefly  described,  and  some  notion  of 
their  special  worth  and  fitness  indicated.     It  is  hoped 
that  these  short  descriptions  will  be  of  considerable 
help  to  young  teachers  in  making  selections  for  their 
classes. 


LIST   OF  BOOKS  213 

9.  Many  of  the  best   and   most  commonly  used 
books  are  published  by  several  companies.     In  such 
cases  the  names  of  the  different  publishers  are  indi- 
cated in  connection  with  each  book. 

10.  By  an  examination  of  these  lists  the  teacher  of 
any  grade  will  discover  that,  in  order  to  teach  well, 
she  must  be  acquainted  with  the  books  used  in  one 
or  two  grades,  both  above  and  below  her  own.     All 
the  chief  groups  of  books  in  literature  run  through 
three  or  four  grades,  and  the  teacher  in  any  grade 
needs  to  get  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  important 
groups  of  books  used  in  her  classes.     In  addition  to 
this,  the  books  recommended  for  teachers  give  a  still 
more    definite   and   comprehensive    grasp   of   large 
classes  of  literary  material.     The  books  recommended 
for  teachers  could  be  indefinitely  extended,  but  it  is 
hoped  that  enough  are  mentioned  to  give  definiteness 
to  their  wider  studies,  and  to  serve  as  an  introduction 
to  some  of  the  larger  fields  of  literature,  science,  and 
history. 

1 1 .  There  are  certain  peculiar  difficulties  connected 
with  the  reading  of  longer  classics  which  are  much 
less  frequently  met  with  in  the  usual  school  readers. 
These  difficulties  are  of  such  a  real  and  serious  kind 
that  many  teachers  are  apt  to  be  discouraged  before 
success  is  attained.     Complete  classics  like  Webster's 
speeches,    "  Julius  Caesar,"    "  Snow-Bound,"    "  Mar- 
mion,"  and  "  Evangeline "   have   been  regarded   as 
too  long  and  difficult  for  school  purposes.     We  have 


214  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

found,  however,  that  the  greater  length,  if  rightly 
utilized,  only  intensifies  the  effect  of  a  masterpiece. 
The  chief  objection  is  the  greater  language  difficulty 
(hard  and  unusual  words,  proper  names,  etc.)  of  the 
longer  classics.  This  is  a  real  obstacle  and  must  be 
fairly  met.  It  is  impossible  to  grade  down  the  language 
and  thought  of  a  great  writer.  It  is  necessary  to  bring 
the  class  up  to  his  level  rather  than  bring  him  down 
to  theirs.  This  requires  time  and  skill  and  persever- 
ance on  the  teacher's  part,  and  labor  and  thought  in 
the  children.  It  may  require  a  week  or  a  month  to 
get  a  class  well  under  way  in  "  Lady  of  the  Lake," 
"  King  of  the  Golden  River,"  or  the  "  Sketch-Book." 
But  when  well  done  it  is  a  conquest  of  no  mean 
importance.  The  language,  style,  and  characteristics 
of  the  author  are  strange  and  difficult.  The  scales 
must  drop  from  children's  eyes  before  they  will 
appreciate  Ruskin  or  Tennyson  or  Emerson.  The 
wings  of  fancy,  the  aesthetic  sense,  do  not  unfold  in 
a  single  day.  But  if  these  initial  difficulties  can  be 
overcome,  we  shall  emerge  soon  into  the  sunlight  of 
interest  and  success.  It  takes  a  degree  of  faith  in 
good  things  and  patience  under  difficulties  to  attain 
success  in  classic  readings.  Even  when  the  teacher 
thinks  he  is  doing  fairly  well,  the  parents  sometimes 
say  the  work  is  too  hard  and  the  verbal  difficulties 
too  great.  Generally,  however,  parents  are  satisfied 
when  children  work  hard  and  are  interested. 

Again,  children  whose  reading  in  the  lower  grades 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  21$ 

has  been  of  the  information  order  lack  the  imagi- 
native power  that  is  essential  to  the  grasp  and  enjoy- 
ment of  any  masterpiece.  The  sleeping  or  dulled 
fancy  must  be  awakened.  The  power  to  image 
things,  so  natural  to  the  poet,  must  be  aroused  and 
exercised.  The  lack  of  training  in  vivid  and  poetic 
thought  in  early  years  is  sure  to  make  itself  felt  in 
deficient  and  languid  thought  and  feeling  in  the 
higher  grades.  But  we  cannot  afford  to  give  up 
the  struggle.  We  may  be  forced  to  begin  lower 
down  in  the  series  of  books,  but  anything  less  than 
a  classic  is  not  fit  for  the  children. 

12.  The  leading  publishing  houses  are  now  com- 
peting vigorously  in  bringing  out  the  best  complete 
classics    in    cheap,   durable,   well-printed   form    for 
school  use.     In  our  list  the  names  of  the  publishers 
are  given.     Most  of  the  companies  can  be  addressed 
in  Boston,  Chicago,  New  York,  or  San  Francisco. 
Most  of  the  books  bound  in  boards  or  cloth  range 
in  price  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents.     The  pam- 
phlet editions  are  from  ten  to  fifteen  cents.     The 
larger  books  of  miscellaneous  collections  and  some 
of  the  science  classics  range  from  seventy-five  cents 
to  a  dollar  and  a  quarter.     A  few  of  the  books  are 
priced  as  high  as  two  dollars. 

13.  Before  final  publication,  the  following  lists  of 
books  have  been  submitted  to  the  criticism  of  a  num- 
ber of  able  superintendents  and  to  the  leading  pub- 
lishing houses.     In  consequence  considerable  changes 


2l6  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

and  additions  have  been  made.  The  chief  criticism 
offered  was  that  the  books,  in  a  number  of  cases,  are 
too  difficult  for  the  grades  indicated.  To  meet  this 
objection  a  few  changes  were  made,  while  in  several 
cases  books  are  described  as  suitable  for  two  or  three 
grades. 

For  the  sake  of  quick  and  easy  reference  in  find- 
ing any  book,  an  alphabetical  list  of  the  titles  of  all 
the  books  is  given  at  the  close,  and  the  page  indi- 
cated where  each  book  may  be  found  in  the  descrip- 
tive list. 

FOURTH   GRADE 
i.  BOOKS  FOR  REGULAR  READING  LESSONS 

Hawthorne's  Wonder  Book.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.;  Edu- 
cational Publishing  Co. 
Has  been  very  extensively  used  in  fourth  and  fifth  grades, 

and  even  in  sixth.     A  book  of  standard  excellence. 
Kingsley's  Greek  Heroes.     Ginn  &  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. 
Much  used.     Excellent.     Covers  much  the  same  ground  as 

the  Wonder  Book  and  is  preferred  by  some  to  it. 
Stories  from  the  Arabian  Nights.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Excellent.     It  contains  some  of  the  most  familiar  stories,  as 

Aladdin,  in  simple  form. 

Whittier's  Child  Life  in  Poetry  and  Prose.  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
An  excellent  selection  of  poems  and  stories  of  child  life  by 
Whittier.     It  has   many  simple  poems  and  stories,  as 
Barefoot  Boy,  John  Gilpin,  etc.     Also  for  fifth  grade. 
Fanciful  Tales  (Stockton).     Scribner's  Sons. 

Very  pleasing  and  well-told  stories  for  children.     It  has  not 
been  extensively  used  for  reading  as  yet. 


LIST   OF   BOO 


Book  of  Tales.    American  Book  Co. 

A  good  collection  of  old  fairy  tales,  stories,  and  poems.     It 

has  been  extensively  used. 
Old  Testament  Stories  in  Scripture  Language.     Houghton,  Mif- 

flin,  &  Co.     Abraham,  Joseph,  Moses,  and  others. 
The  patriarchal  stories  in  familiar  Bible  language.     It  may 

be  a  little  difficult  for  the  first  part  of  the  year. 
Round  the  Year  in  Myth  and  Song  (Holbrook).     American 

Book  Co. 

A  fine  collection  of  nature  poems  for  occasional  use  through- 
out the  year. 
Bird-World  (Stickney-Hoffman).     Ginn  &  Co. 

An  interesting  collection  of  bird  stories  and  descriptions. 
Simple.     A  good  book  to  encourage  observation  of  birds. 
Nature  in  Verse  (Lovejoy).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. 

An  excellent  collection  of  nature  poems  arranged  by  the 

seasons. 

Book  of  Legends  (Scudder).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Andersen's  Fairy  Tales.     First  and  Second  Series.     Ginn  &  Co. 
Grimm's  Household  Tales.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Four  Great  Americans  (Baldwin).    Werner  School  Book  Co. 
Hans  Andersen  Tales.     The  Macmillan  Co. 
Squirrels  and  Other  Fur-Bearers  (Burroughs).     Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. 
Very  entertaining,  but  somewhat  difficult  in  language.     Use 

toward  the  end  of  the  year,  and  in  fifth  grade. 
Peabody's  Old  Greek  Folk  Stories.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Simple  and  well  written.    It  supplements  the  Wonder  Book. 
King  Arthur  and  his  Court  (Greene).     Ginn  &  Co. 

A  recent  book.     Simple  in  style  and  pleasing  to  children. 
The  Howells  Story  Book.     Scribner's  Sons. 

2.  SUPPLEMENTARY  AND  REFERENCE  BOOKS 

Stories  of  Our  Country  (Johonnot).     American  Book  Co. 

Good  American  stories  for  children  to  read  at  home  or 
school. 


218  SPECIAL   METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

Tales  from  the  "  Faerie  Queene."    The  Macmillan  Co. 

For  reference  and  library. 
Bimbi  (De  la  Rame'e) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

The  Niirnberg  Stove  and  other  good  stories.     Good  for 

home  reading  and  for  school  work. 
The  Niirnberg  Stove.     Maynard,   Merrill,  &  Co. ;   Hough  ton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Gods  and  Heroes  (Francillon) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

Suitable  to  late  fourth  and  fifth  grades  for  collateral  read- 
ing.    Simple  in  style. 
Waste  Not,  Want   Not   (Edgeworth).     Ginn  &  Co.;    D.   C. 

Heath,  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  MifHin,  &  Co. 
Practical  stories  for  children,  illustrating  foresight,  economy, 

etc. 
A  Ballad  Book  (Bates).     Sibley  &  Ducker. 

A  good  collection  of  the  older,  simpler  ballads.    These  bal- 
lads should  be  distributed  through  the  year.     Good  for 
supplementary  reading,  also  for  drill  in  reading. 
The  Story  of  Ulysses  (Cook).     Public  School  Publishing  Co. 

An  excellent  rendering,  sometimes  used  as  a  reader. 
Friends  and  Helpers  (Eddy).     Ginn  &  Co. 

Stories  of  animals  and  birds.     Instructive. 
Hans  Andersen  Stories.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Tommy- Anne  and  the  Three  Hearts  (Wright).    The  Macmil- 
lan Co. 
First  Book  of  Birds  (Miller).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Very  simple  and  interesting  descriptions  and   accounts  of 
common  birds.     Will  help  to  interest  the   children  in 
nature. 
The  Little  Lame  Prince.     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co.;   D.   C. 

Heath  &  Co. 

A  story  for  home  reading. 
The  Dog  of  Flanders.     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co.;  Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Educational  Publishing  Co. 
An  excellent  story  for  children  to  read  at  home  or  in  school. 

Pathetic. 
Old  Stories  of  the  East  (Baldwin).     American  Book  Co. 


LIST   OF    BOOKS  2 19 

A  pleasing  treatment  of  the  old  Bible  stories,  not  in  Bible 

language.     Well  written. 
Fairy  Tales  in  Prose  and  Verse  (Rolfe).     American  Book  Co. 

A  choice  collection  of  stories  and  poems. 
Heroes  of  Asgard.     The  Macmillan  Co. 

A  good  simple  treatment  of  the  Norse  myths.     Suitable  for 

supplementary  and  sight  reading. 

Tales  of  Troy  (De  Garmo).     Public  School  Publishing  Co. 
A  simple  narrative  of  the  Trojan  war.     Supplementary. 
Our  Feathered  Friends  (Grinnell).     D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 

Instructive  book  on  birds. 

Alice's   Adventures    in  Wonderland    (Carroll).     The   Macmil- 
lan Co. ;  Educational  Publishing  Co. 

Very  suitable  for  home  and  family  reading.     Younger  chil- 
dren enjoy  it  much.     Entertaining. 
Jackanapes,  The  Brownies  (Mrs.  Ewing).     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&Co. 
Through   the  Looking  Glass   (Carroll).     The  Macmillan  Co.; 

Educational  Publishing  Co. 

The  Merry  Adventures  of  Robin  Hood  (Pyle).    Scribner's  Sons. 
An  expensive  book  (about  three  dollars).     Excellent  stories 
to    read   to    children.     Full    of  humor  and  adventure. 
Finely  illustrated.      A  good   book  for  school  and  home 
library. 
Open  Sesame,  Vol.  I  and  Vol.  II.     Ginn  &  Co. 

A  fine  collection  of  the  best   poems   of  nature,  heroism, 
Christmas  time,  etc.     Ballads   and  stories.      They  are 
adapted  to  children  in  several  grades,  and  should  be  used 
for  reading,  memory  work,  and  for  recitation. 
Stories  of  the  Old  World  (Church).     Ginn  &  Co. 

Good  reading  matter  for  fourth  and  fifth  grades.     Interest- 
ing for  supplementary  reading. 

Stories  of  American  Life  and  Adventure  (Eggleston).     Ameri- 
can Book  Co. 

Black  Beauty.    Educational  Publishing  Co. ;  University  Pub.  Co. 
Children's  Treasury  of  English  Song.     The  Macmillan  Co. 
A  collection  of  poems  for  occasional  use. 


22O  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy.     Scribner's  Sons. 

A  famous  story  for  home  reading.     A  book  for  libraries. 
Heroes  of  the  Middle  West  (Catherwood).     Ginn  &  Co. 

Stories  for  later  fourth  and  fifth  grades.     A  good  book  for 

supplementary  reading.     Also  for  sixth  grade. 
Old  Norse  Stories  (Bradish).     American  Book  Co. 

Stories  for  reference  reading  and  sight  reading. 
Stories  from  Plato  (Burt).     Ginn  &  Co. 

Simple  myths  and  stories  for  home  reading. 
The  Eugene  Field  Book.     Scribner's  Sons. 

Pleasing  and  entertaining  for  younger  children.    Prose  and 

verse,  humorous  and  pathetic. 
Stories  from  Old  Germany  (Pratt).     Educational  Publishing  Co. 

A  simple,  interesting  rendering  of  the  story  of  Siegfried. 
Secrets  of  the  Woods.     Ginn  &  Co. 
Norse  Stories  (Mabie).     Dodd,  Mead,  &  Co. 

An  excellent  rendering  of  the  Norse  stories.     Simple. 
Fifty  Famous  Stories  Retold  (Baldwin).     American  Book  Co. 

Simple  and  well  told. 
Pioneers  of  the  Revolution.     Public  School  Publishing  Co. 

A  simple  narrative  of  pioneer  life  and  conflict  in  the  South- 
west during  the  Revolution. 

3.  TEACHERS'  BOOKS 

Story  of  the  Iliad  (Church).     The  Macmillan  Co. 

A  reference  book  for  outside  reading. 
Emerson's  Essays.     Second  Series.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Essays   on  the  poet,   manners,   character,   etc.     Inspiring 

reading  for  the  teacher. 

Myths  of  the  Northern  Lands  (Guerber).     American  Book  Co. 
Readings  in  Folklore  (Skinner).     American  Book  Co. 

Good  general  introduction  to  the  folklore  of  modern  Euro- 
pean countries. 
History  and  Literature  (Rice).     A.  Flanagan. 

A  discussion  of  books  and  materials  for  teachers. 
Being  a  Boy  (Warner).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 


LIST    OF    BOOKS  221 

David  Copperfield  (Charles  Dickens). 

Talks  to  Teachers  (James). 

Sesame  and  Lilies  (Ruskin).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  The 

Macmillan  Co. 
Tales  of  a  Traveler  (Irving).     American  Book  Co. ;  Maynard, 

Merrill,  &  Co. 
Poetry  for  Children  (Eliot) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  good  collection  for  miscellaneous  uses  in  the  school. 
California  and  Oregon  Trail  (Parkman) .     Hurst  &  Co. ;  Little, 

Brown,  &  Co. 

Interesting  descriptions  of  Indian  and  Western  life. 
Story  of  the  Odyssey  (Church).     The  Macmillan  Co. 

Good  for  reference  and  general  reading. 
Literature  in  Schools  (Scudder) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  series  of  three  excellent  papers  on  the  use  and  value  of 

literature  in  schools.     Especially  valuable  for  teachers. 
Children's  Stories  of  American  Literature  (Wright).     Scribner's. 
Short    biographies    of    American    writers    in    two    small 

volumes. 
The  Age  of  Fable  (Bulfinch) .     Lee  &  Shepard. 

One  of  the  best  general  treatises  on  mythology. 
National  Epics  (Rabb).     A.  C.  McClurg. 

A  good  introduction  and  extracts  from  the  great  epic  poems 

of  all  nations. 
In  Bird  Land  (Keyser).     A.  C.  McClurg. 

Delightful  reading  and  suggestive  to  teachers. 
The  Ways  of  Wood  Folk  (Long) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

Very    pleasing    stories    of   animal    life    for    children    and 

teachers. 

Nature  Pictures  by  American  Poets  (Marble) .   The  Macmillan  Co. 
La  Salle  and  the  Discovery  of  the   Great  West  (Parkman). 

Little,  Brown,  &  Co. 
Very  interesting  account  of  the  exploration   of  the  Great 

Lakes  and  the  Mississippi  River. 
The  Discovery  of  America,  two  volumes  (Fiske).      Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Valuable  account  of  Columbus  and  other  explorers. 


222  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

The   Beginnings  of  New  England  (Fiske).      Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. 

Excellent. 
The  Story-Teller's  Art  (Dye).     Ginn  &  Co. 

A  book  designed  for  high  school   teachers,  but  good  also 

for  teachers  in  the  grades. 

The  Winning  of  the  West  (Roosevelt).     Putnam. 
Leonard  and  Gertrude  (Pestalozzi).     D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 
Jean  Mitchell's  School.     Public  School  Publishing  Co. 
The  Pilot  (Cooper).    American  Book  Co. ;  University  Pub.  Co. 


FIFTH   GRADE 
i.   BOOKS  FOR  REGULAR   READING   LESSONS 

Hiawatha.     Houghton,   Mifflin,  &  Co.;    The  Macmillan  Co.; 

Educational  Publishing  Co. ;  University  Pub.  Co. 
Well  suited  for  reading.     Used  in  several  grades. 
Lays  of  Ancient  Rome  (Macaulay) .     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ; 
Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. ;  Educa- 
tional Publishing  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. 
The  four  ballad  poems.     Good  school  reading  for  children. 
Names  somewhat  hard  at  first.     Very  stimulating  and 
heroic.     Used  also  in  sixth  grade. 

King  of  the  Golden  River  (Ruskin).     Ginn  &  Co. ;  The  Mac- 
millan Co.;    Houghton,   Mifflin,  &  Co.;    D.   C.   Heath 
&  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 
Much  used.     Excellent  story  and  reading. 
Tanglewood  Tales  (Hawthorne).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Companion  book  to  the  Wonder  Book.     Excellent  matter 

for  reading. 
Water  Babies  (Kingsley).     Ginn  &  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. ; 

Educational  Publishing  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 
Interesting  story.     Good  also  for  home  reading.     Better, 
perhaps,  for  sixth  grade. 


Y 


LIST   OF    BOOKS  223 

Ulysses    among    the    Phaeacians    (Bryant).      Houghton,    Mif- 

flin, &  Co. 
Simple  and  easy.     Poetic  in  its  rendering.     Better  for  sixth 

grade  in  some  classes. 
Tales  from  English  History  (prose  and  verse).    American  Book 

Company. 
Stories  and  ballads  of  the  leading  periods  of  English  history 

from  the  best  authors.     Illustrated. 
Gulliver's  Travels.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.;   Ginn  &  Co.; 

The  Macmillan  Co.  ;  Educational  Publishing  Co. 
Somewhat  difficult  in  spots.     Very  interesting  to  boys  and 

girls.     For  some  classes  use  in  sixth  grade. 
Adventures  of  Ulysses   (Lamb).     Ginn  &  Co.;   D.  C.  Heath 

&  Co. 

Well  told,  giving  complete  outline  of  the  whole  story. 
Heroic  Ballads.     Ginn  &  Co. 

Scotch  and   English  and  many  later  and  American  bal- 

lads. 
The  Pied  Piper  and  Other  Poems    (Browning).      Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Also  other  poems  and  ballads  of  Browning. 
Tales  from  Scottish  History  (Rolfe).     American  Book  Co. 
Some  Merry   Adventures  of  Robin  Hood   (Pyle).     Scribner's 

Sons.     Shorter  School  Edition. 
Humorous  and  entertaining. 
Little   Daflfydowndilly  and   Biographical   Stories  (Hawthorne). 

Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.    The  latter  for  sixth  grade. 
Stories  of  American  Life  and  Adventure  (Eggleston).     Ameri- 

can Book  Co. 
The  Ways  of  Wood  Folk  (Long)  .     Ginn  &  Co. 

An  excellent  nature  book  for  children,  entertaining,  instruc- 

tive, and  well  written. 
Gulliver's    Voyage    to    Lilliput    (Swift).      Maynard,    Merrill, 

&  Co. 
Squirrels  and  Other  Fur-Bearers  (Burroughs)  .     Houghton,  Mif- 

flin, &  Co. 
The  Children's  Hour  (Longfellow).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 


224  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

2.   SUPPLEMENTARY   AND   REFERENCE   BOOKS 

Arabian  Nights  (Hale).     Ginn  &  Co. 

Many  of  the  best  stories  of  the  collection,  including  a  num- 
ber of  the  less  familiar  ones.     Also  for  regular  reading. 
Ten  Boys  on  the  Road  from  Long  Ago.     Ginn  &  Co. 

A  book  interesting  and  much  used.     Good  for  reading  in 

fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth  grades.     Also  for  sight  reading. 
Robinson  Crusoe.     Ginn  &  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ;  American 

Book  Co. ;  University  Publishing  Co. 

Much  reduced  and  simplified  from  the  original.  A  complete 
and  more  difficult  edition  is  published  by  Houghton,  Mif- 
flin,  &  Co. 

The  Odyssey  of  Homer  (Palmer).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
A  complete  prose  translation  of  the  entire  Odyssey.     Prob- 
ably the  best.     Good  for  fifth  and  sixth  grades. 
Bryant's  Odyssey.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  simple,  poetic  rendering  of  the  whole  Odyssey.    A  good 

teacher's  book.     Use  parts  in  class. 
Bryant's  Iliad.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Complete  poetic  translation.     One  of  the  best. 
Heroes  of  the  Middle  West  (Catherwood) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

Good  stories  of  the  early  French   explorers   of  the  Great 

Lakes  and  the  Mississippi  Valley.     Somewhat  difficult. 
Pope's  Iliad.     The  Macmillan  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. ;  American  Book 

Co. ;  Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 
A  famous  rendering  of  the  old  Greek  story.     Still  better 

for  sixth  grade. 

A  Story  of  the  Golden  Age  (Baldwin).     Scribner's  Sons. 
Secrets  of  the  Woods  (Long).     Ginn  &  Co. 
Old  Greek  Story  (Baldwin).     American  Book  Co. 
Arabian  Nights  (Clarke).     American  Book  Co. 
Colonial  Children  (Hart).     The  Macmillan  Co. 

Simple  and  well-chosen  source  material.     Excellent. 
Krag  and  Johnny  Bear  (Seton).     Scribner's  Sons. 
Poems  of  American  Patriotism  (Matthews).     Scribner's  Sons. 
Ballads  and  Lyrics.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 


LIST   OF    BOOKS  225 

Stories  from  Herodotus.     Maynard,  Merrill  &  Co. ;  The  Mac- 

millan  Co. 

Simple  and  interesting  stories.     Good  also  for  sixth  grade. 
Jason's  Quest.     Sibley  &  Ducker. 

The  story  of  Jason  told  in  full.   Interesting  and  well  written. 
Book  of  Golden  Deeds.     The  Macmillan  Co. 

A  fine  collection  of  historical  and  famous  stories.     For  sixth 

grade  also. 
Historical  Tales,  American  (Morris).     J.  B.  Lippincott. 

One  of  the  best  collections  of  American  stories. 
Greek  Gods,  Heroes,  and  Men.     Scott,  Foresman,  &  Co. 

A  collection  of  Greek  stories,  both -mythical  and  historical. 
The  Story  of  the  English  (Guerber).     American  Book  Co. 

A  complete  series  of  English  history  stories  arranged  chrono- 
logically, good  for  fifth  and  sixth  grades. 
Tales  of  Chivalry  (Rolfe) .     American  Book  Co. 

Good  stories  from  Scott,  mostly  from  Ivanhoe.     Also  the 

early  life  of  Scott.     Good  for  fifth  and  sixth  grades. 
Boy's  King  Arthur  (Lanier).     Scribner's  Sons. 

A  very  interesting  story  for  boys  and  girls.     A  good  library 

book  ($2.00). 
The  Story  of  Siegfried  (Baldwin).     Scribner's  Sons. 

A  full  and  attractive  story  of  Siegfried's  adventures.   A  good 

library  book  ($2.00). 
Pioneer  History   Stories    (McMurry).     Three  volumes.     The 

Macmillan  Co.     Also  for  sixth  year. 
Early  pioneer  stories  of  the  Eastern  states,  of  the  Mississippi 

Valley,  and  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Open  Sesame.     Part  II.     Ginn  &  Co. 

A  good  collection  of  poems  arranged  in  important  classes. 
The  Story  of  the  Greeks  (Guerber) .     American  Book  Co. 

Leading  stories  of  Greek  myth  and  history.     For  fifth  and 

sixth  grades. 

The  Story  of  Troy.     American  Book  Co. 
A  short  narrative  of  the  Trojan  War. 
Story  of  the  Odyssey  (Church) .     The  Macmillan  Co. 
Library  book  for  general  reading.     Simple. 
Q 


226  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

The  Story  of  Roland  (Baldwin) .     Scribner's  Sons. 

Large  book  for  library.     Good. 

The  Hoosier  School  Boy  (Eggleston).     Scribner's  Sons. 
American  Explorers  (Higginson).     Lee  &  Shepard. 

Excellent  descriptions  of  early  explorations.     Good  source 

material  for  pupils  and  teachers.     Also  for  sixth  grade. 
The  Children's   Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln   (Putnam).     A.  C. 

McClurg.     Also  for  sixth  and  seventh  grades. 
Four  American  Naval  Heroes  (Beebe).     Werner  School  Book 

Corrtpany.     Sixth  grade  also. 
A  simple  narrative  of  great  naval  conflicts. 
Lobo,  Rag,  a'nd  Viken  (Seton).    Scribner's  Sons. 

I 

3.   TEACHERS'   BOOKS 

Beginnings  of  New  England  and  Discovery  of  America,  two 
volumes  (Fiske) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Good  library  books  for  teacher. 
Sesame  and  Lilies  (Ruskin) .     The  Macmillan  Co. 

A  very  stimulating  and  suggestive  book  for  teachers. 
The  Golden  Age  (Kenneth  and  Grahame) .     John  Lane. 
Moral  Instruction  of  Children  (Adler).     D.  Appleton  &  Co. 
Childhood  in   Literature  and  Art  (Scudder).     Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. 

An  instructive  book  for  teachers. 
Readings  in  Folk  Lore  (Skinner) .    American  Book  Co. 

Valuable  source  book. 
Wilderness  Ways  (Long).     Ginn  &  Co. 

Entertaining  to  both  teachers  and  pupils. 
The  Story  of  Our  Continent  (Shaler) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

An  interesting  geological  history  of  North  America. 
Historical  Tales,  English  (Morris).     J.  B.  Lippincott. 

Excellent  materials  for  reference  work. 

Westward  Ho!   (Kingsley).     The  Macmillan  Co.;    University 
Publishing  Co. 

A  good  story  of  the  time  of  Elizabeth,  Drake,  and  Raleigh. 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  22? 

Samuel  de  Champlain  (Sedgwick).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
A  short  and  interesting  biography.     Other  books  of  the 
same  Riverside   Biographical   Series  are,  William  Penn, 
Lewis  and  Clark,  George  Rogers  Clark,  and  Paul  Jones. 
History  and  Literature  (Rice).     Flanagan. 

A  brief  pedagogical  treatment  of  the  whole  subject  of  litera- 
ture and  history  for  the  elementary  school. 
Ivanhoe  (Scott).     Ginn  &  Co.;   D.  C.  Heath  &  Co.;  Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.;  American  Book  Co.;  The  Macmil- 
lan  Co. 

The  Deerslayer  (Cooper).     The  Macmillan  Co. 
House  of  Seven  Gables  (Hawthorne).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Drake  and  his  Yeomen  (Barnes).     The  Macmillan  Co. 
Hard  Times  (Charles  Dickens). 

Mechanical  methods  in  education  described. 
Wake  Robin  (Burroughs).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
A  book  of  pleasing  nature  observation  and  study. 
Pioneers  of  France  in  the  New  World,  and  La  Salle  and  the 
Discovery  of  the  Great  West  (Parkman).     Little,  Brown, 
&Co. 

Excellent  and  interesting  historical  material  for  the  teacher. 
The  Men  Who  Made  the  Nation  (Sparks).     The  Macmillan  Co. 

Interesting  biographical  material. 
The  Age  of  Chivalry  (Bulfmch).     Lee  &  Shepard. 

An  important  treatise  on  this  subject.     Library  book. 
The  Foot-path  Way  (Torrey).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Attractive  and  inspiring  nature  study. 
Birddom  (Keyser).     Lothrop  &  Co. 

Excellent  style  and  treatment  of  bird  life. 
News  from  the  Birds  (Keyser).    D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

Very  pleasing  studies  and  stimulating  to  teachers. 
Greek  Life  and  Story  (Church).     G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons. 

A  good  series  of  pictures  from  the  chief  episodes  of  Greek 

history. 
Counsel  upon  the  Reading  of  Books  (Van  Dyke).     Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co.     Excellent. 
The  Odyssey  (Butcher  and  Lang).    The  Macmillan  Co. 


228  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 

SIXTH    GRADE 
i.  BOOKS  FOR  REGULAR  READING  LESSONS 

The  Sketch-Book  (Irving).     Ginn  &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. ; 

Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  Macmillan  Co. ;  Hough  ton,  Mif- 

flin,  &  Co. ;  Educational  Pub.  Co. ;  University  Pub.  Co. 

Rip  Van  Winkle  and  other  American  essays .    One  of  the  best 

books  for  sixth  grade.  Used  also  in  fifth  and  seventh  grades. 

The  Courtship  of  Miles   Standish    (Longfellow).      Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Excellent  in  many  ways  for  sixth-grade  children.  A  dramatized 

edition  is  also  published.   Used  sometimes  in  seventh  grade. 

The  Christmas  Carol    (Dickens).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  £  Co.; 

Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  Educational  Publishing  Co. 
Excellent  as  literature  and  for  variety  of  style  in  class  work. 

Used  also  in  seventh  grade. 
Hunting  of  the  Deer  (Warner).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Including  also  How  I  Killed  a  Bear,  and  other  admirable 
stories,  in  which  the  humor  and  sentiment  are  fine.  Used 
also  in  seventh  grade. 

Snow-Bound  and  Songs  of  Labor  (Whittier).     Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. 
One  of  the  best  American  poems  for  children.     Used  also 

in  seventh  and  eighth  grades. 
Coming  of  Arthur  and  Passing  of  Arthur.     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. 
In  the  fine,  poetic  style  of  Tennyson,  but  simple.     Suited 

also  for  seventh  grade. 
The  Gentle  Boy  and  Other  Tales  (Hawthorne).      Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  pathetic  story  of  the  Quaker  persecutions  in  New  England. 
Tales  of  the  White  Hills  and  Sketches  (Hawthorne).   Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

The  Great  Stone  Face  in  this  series  is  one  of  the  choicest 
stories  for  children  in  English. 


LIST   OF    BOOKS  22Q 

Plutarch's  Alexander  the  Great.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  good  biography  for  children  and  serves  well  as  an  intro- 
duction to  Plutarch. 

Grandfather's  Chair  (Hawthorne) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
The  best  stories  we  have  of  early  and  colonial  New  England 

history.     Good  also  for  seventh  grade. 
Children's   Hour,  Paul  Revere,  and  other  papers  (Longfellow). 

Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
This  contains  also  the  Birds  of  Killingworth,  and  other 

of  Longfellow's  best  short  poems. 
Birds  and   Bees,  Sharp  Eyes,  and  other  papers  (Burroughs). 

Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.     Also  for  seventh  grade. 
These  are  among  the  best  of  Burroughs's  books  for  children. 

Classic  in  style  and  choice  in  matter. 

Hawthorne's  Biographical  Stories.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Seven  American  Classics  (Swinton).     American  Book  Co. 

A  good  collection  of  American  classics  suited  to  this  grade. 
Three  Outdoor  Papers  (Higginson).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Interesting  studies  of  nature  in  choice  style. 
Giles  Corey  (Longfellow).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  drama  of  the  Salem  witchcraft,  with   directions   for  its 

representation  on  the  stage. 
The  Building  of  the  Ship,  The  Masque  of  Pandora,  and  other 

poems  (Longfellow).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Excellent.     The  Masque  of  Pandora  could  be  rendered  in 

dramatic  form  by  children.     Also  for  seventh  grade. 
Mabel  Martin  and  other  poems  (Whittier) .     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&Co. 

A  choice  collection  of  poems  from  Whittier.    A  good  picture 
of  New  England  life.    Used  also  in  seventh  and  eighth 
grades. 
Baby  Bell,  The    Little  Violinist,  and  other  prose  and  verse 

(Aldrich).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Very  choice  poems  and  stories. 
Open  Sesame,  Vol.   II,  and  Vol.  III.    Ginn  &  Co. 

Poems  and  ballads.     A  collection  well  arranged  for  various 
school  use,  for  reading,  recitation,  and  memorizing. 


23O  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

2.   SUPPLEMENTARY  AND   REFERENCE   BOOKS 

Ten  Great  Events  in  History  (Johonnot).     D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

Good  collateral  reading  in  this  grade. 
Lanier's  Froissart.     Scribner's  Sons. 
A  fine  story  for  library  ($2.00). 

Child's  History  of  England  (Dickens).     Hurst  &  Co.;  Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. 
A  book  much  used.     Should  be  in  a  school  library. 
Tales  from  Shakespeare  (Lamb).     American  Book  Co.;   Mac- 
millan  Co. ;   Educational  Publishing  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath 
&  Co. ;  Hough  ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Designed  as  an  introduction  to  the  plays  of  Shakespeare. 

Language  and  style  superior.    Used  also  in  seventh  grade. 

Pilgrim's  Progress   (Bunyan) .     Macmillan  Co. ;    Ginn  &  Co. ; 

Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  University  Publishing  Co. 
The  famous  old  story  which  all  children  should  read.   A 

book  for  the  library  and  the  home. 
Story  of  Caesar  (Clarke).     American  Book  Co. 
Heroes  and  Patriots  of  the  Revolution  (Hart).   The  Macmillan  Co. 
Swiss  Family  Robinson.  Ginn  &  Co. ;  Educational  Publishing  Co. 

A  library  book  for  children.     University  Publishing  Co. 
Stories   from  Old  English   Poetry   (Richardson).     Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 

An  excellent  series  of  stories  from  Chaucer  and  others. 
Historical  Tales,  English  (Morris).     J.  B.  Lippincott. 

A  good  collection  of  English  history  stories. 
Selections  from  Irving.     Sibley  &  Ducker.  . 

A  variety  of  interesting  selections  from  living's  works. 
The  Conquest  of  Mexico  (Prescott) .     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

The  story  of  Cortes  and  his  adventures  told  by  a  master. 
William  Tell  (McMurry).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. 

The  drama  of  Schiller's  Wilhelm  Tell,  translated  into  simple 

English.     Adapted  for  representation. 
Source  Book  of  American  History  (Hart).     Macmillan  Co. 

The  parts  bearing  on  the  colonial  history.    Original  sources, 
letters,  etc. 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  231 

Story  of  a  Bad  Boy  (Aldrich).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  good  narrative  of  boy  life,  humorous  and  entertaining. 
Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel  (Scott) .    The  Macmillan  Co. ;  Maynard, 

Merrill,  &  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
One  of  the  best  descriptions  of  the  old  minstrelsy.     Suitable 

for  sixth  and  seventh  grades. 
Choice  English  Lyrics  (Baldwin).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. 

A   great    variety   of    choice    poems,    ballads,    lyrics,   and 

sonnets. 
Poetry  of  the  Seasons  (Lovejoy).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. 

A  choice  collection  of  nature  poems. 
Wilderness  Ways  (Long) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

An  interesting  study  of  wild  animals,  birds,  etc. 
Famous  Allegories  (Baldwin).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. 

A  good  selection  for  reference  reading  and  for  teachers. 
Rab  and  His  Friends  (Brown).     Educational   Publishing  Co.; 

D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Interesting  stories  of  dogs  for  children. 
Story  of  Oliver  Twist  (Dickens) .     D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

Suitable  for  introducing  children  to  Dickens. 
Undine  (Fouque).     Ginn  &  Co. 
Nine  Worlds  (Litchfield).    Ginn  &  Co. 

Hans  Brinker,  or  the  Silver  Skates  (Mary  Mapes  Dodge).     Cen- 
tury Co. 

Don  Quixote  (De  la  Mancha).     Scribner's  Sons  ;  Ginn  &  Co. 
Tales  of  a  Traveller  (Irving).     American  Book  Co.;  Maynard, 

Merrill,  &  Co. 

Various  interesting  stories  of  adventure. 
Pilgrims  and  Puritans  (Moore).     Ginn  &  Co. 

One  of  the  best  books  on  the  early  history  of  Plymouth  and 

Boston.     Very  simple  and  well  told. 
Stories  from  Waverley  (Gassiot) .     The  Macmillan  Co. 

For  reference  reading.     Stories  from  Scott. 
Golden  Treasury  of  Songs  and  Lyrics  (Palgrave) .     The  Mac- 
millan Co. 

A  collection  of  the  best  songs  and  lyrical  poems. 
The  Rose  and  the  Ring  (Thackeray).     D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 


232  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

Knickerbocker  Stories.     University  Publishing  Co. 
Boys  of  '76  (Coffin) .     Harper  Brothers. 

A  realistic  account  of  Revolutionary  scenes. 
Stories  of  Bird  Life  (Pearson).     B.  F.  Johnson  Publishing  Co. 

Simple  descriptions  by  a  close  observer  of  birds. 
Our  Country  in  Prose  and  Verse.     American  Book  Co. 

Excellent  collection  for  children's  use. 
Stories  of  Animal  Life  (Holden) .     American  Book  Co. 
Stories  from  English  History  (Church).     The  Macmillan  Co. 

In  two  volumes.     The  second  part  is  especially  suited  to 

sixth  grade.     Parts  also  of  Part  One. 

Children's  Stories  of  American  Literature  (Wright).    1660-1860. 
Scribner's  Sons. 

Short  biographies  of  the  chief  American  writers. 
Golden  Arrow  (Hall).     Hough  ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 


3.   TEACHERS'   BOOKS 

Peter  the  Great  (Motley).    Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

A  very  interesting  essay  for  teachers  and  for  older  pupils. 
Frederick  the  Great  (Macaulay) .     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

For  teachers  only.     Interesting  in  style  and  content. 
Life  Histories  of  American  Insects  (Weed).     The  Macmillan  Co. 

An  interesting  scientific  treatment. 

Vicar  of   Wakefield    (Goldsmith).      Ginn  &   Co.;    American 
Book  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ; 
The  Macmillan  Co. ;  The  University  Publishing  Co. 
The  Talisman  (Scott).     American  Book  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. 
Introduction  to  Literature  (Lewis).     The  Macmillan  Co. 

Good  selections. 
Source  Book  of  English  History  (Kendall).    The  Macmillan  Co. 

Good  selections  for  sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth  grades. 
Twice  Told  Tales  (Hawthorne).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Old  Virginia  and  Her  Neighbors,  two  volumes  (Fiske) .     Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 


LIST   OF    BOOKS  233 

The   Dutch   and    Quaker   Colonies   in   America,   two  volumes 

(Fiske).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

These  four  volumes  are  excellent  for  the  treatment  of  colo- 
nial history. 

An  Introduction  to  Ruskin.     Sibley  &  Ducker. 
Extracts  from  Ruskin's  principal  writings. 

Essay  on  Milton  (Macaulay).     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  Ameri- 
can Book  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. 
A  good  example  of  Macaulay's  style. 
History  of  England  (Macaulay).     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

A  brief  history  of  England  from  the  earliest  times  to  1660. 
The  Iliad  (Bryant).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Books  and  Libraries  (Lowell) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  valuable  and  interesting  essay  on  libraries  and  books. 

Also  other  essays. 

The  Red  Cross  Story  Book  (Lang).     Longmans  &  Co. 
Montcalm  and  Wolfe  (Parkman).     Little,  Brown,  &  Co. 
Washington  Irving  (Warner).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Of  the  American  Men  of  Letters  Series. 
Conspiracy  of  Pontiac  (Parkman).     Little,  Brown,  &  Co. 
The  Fortune  of  the  Republic  (Emerson).     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&  Co. 
Nature  Pictures  by  American  Poets  (Marble) .   The  Macmillan  Co. 

A  choice  collection  of  nature  poems. 
Poetic  Interpretation  of  Nature  (Shairp).  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

An  interesting  treatise  on  the  sources  of  poetry  in  nature. 
Westward  Ho !  (Kingsley) .  The  Macmillan  Co. ;  The  University 

Publishing  Co. 

A  story  of  the  time  of  Elizabeth. 
The  Schoolmaster  in  Literature.     American  Book  Co. 

Also  its  companion  book,  The  Schoolmaster  in  Comedy  and 

Satire.     American  Book  Co. 
Scarlet  Letter  (Hawthorne) . 

Last  of  the  Mohicans  (Cooper).     D.  C.  Heath  &  Co.;  Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Macmillan  Co. ;  University  Pub.  Co. 
Henry  Esmond  (Thackeray).     Houghton,  Mifflin ;  Macmillan. 
Nicholas  Nickleby  (Charles  Dickens). 


234  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

SEVENTH   GRADE 
i.   BOOKS   FOR  REGULAR   READING   LESSONS 

Evangeline  (Longfellow).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  The  Mac- 

millan  Co. ;  The  University  Publishing  Co. 
This  has  been  much  used  in  seventh  and  eighth  grades. 
Sella,  Thanatopsis,  and   Other  Poems    (Bryant).      Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 
Some  of  Bryant's  best  poetic  productions.    Or  eighth  grade. 
Sohrab  and  Rustum  (Arnold).     American  Book  Co. ;   Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;   Maynard  &  Merrill ;   Werner  School 
Book  Co. ;   Educational  Publishing  Co. 
Style  simple  but  highly  poetic.     Used  also  in  eighth  grade. 
Cricket  on  the  Hearth  (Dickens).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.; 

Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

Enoch  Arden  and  the   Lotus   Eaters    (Tennyson).     Maynard, 
Merrill,  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  The  Macmil- 
lan  Co. ;   University  Publishing  Co. 
Used  in  seventh  and  eighth  grades  and  high  schools. 
Merchant  of  Venice  (Shakespeare).     American  Book  Co. ;  Ginn 
&  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ;  Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Maynard  &  Merrill ;  Educational  Pub- 
lishing Co. ;   University  Publishing  Co. 
The  best  of  Shakespeare's  for  this  grade.     Parts  of  it  are 
often   dramatized  and   presented.      Much   liked   by  the 
children. 

Tales  of  a  Grandfather  (Scott).     Ginn  &  Co. ;  Educational  Pub- 
lishing Co. ;   University  Publishing  Co. 
Stories  of  Wallace,  Bruce,  Douglas,  and  other  Scotch  heroes. 
Should  be  read  only  in  parts  in  class.     Library  book. 
Poems  of  Emerson.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Historical  and  nature  poems,  with  a  good  introduction. 
A  small  but  important  collection  of  poems  for  older 
children. 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  2$ 5 

The    Cotter's    Saturday   Night    (Burns).      Houghton,    Mifflin, 

&  Co. ;   Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

Contains  also  Tarn  O'Shanter  and  other  poems  of  Burns's  best. 
Bunker  Hill,  Adams,  and  Jefferson  (Webster).     Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 
Historical,  patriotic,  and  simple  in  style.     The  best  of  Web- 
ster's speeches  for  seventh  and  eighth  grades. 
Poor  Richard's  Almanac  (Franklin).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
This  contains  also  interesting  papers  and  letters  by  Franklin. 
The  proverbs  of  Franklin  are  well  deserving  the  study  of 
children. 
Scudder's  Life  of  Washington.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Best  life  of  Washington  for  grammar  grades. 
Source  Book  of  American  History  (Hart).     The  Macmillan  Co. 
Excellent  reading  selections  for  sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth 

grades. 
Grandmother's  Story  and  Other  Poems  (Holmes).     Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Some  of  Holmes's  best  patriotic  and  humorous  poems. 
The  Plant  World  (Vincent).     D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

A  superior  collection  of  extracts  from  great  scientific  writers. 

One  of  the  best  science  readers  for  upper  grades. 
Poetry  of  the  Seasons  (Lovejoy).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. 

Good  collection  for  reading  and  various  uses. 
William  Tell  (McMurry).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. 

Suitable  for  seventh-grade  reading.     A  drama. 
Golden  Treasury  of  Best  Songs  and  Lyrical  Poems  (Palgrave). 
The  Macmillan  Co. 

2.  SUPPLEMENTARY  AND  REFERENCE  BOOKS 

Rules  of  Conduct  (Washington).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Containing  also    his   letters,   farewell   address,  and    other 

important  papers. 
Shakespeare's  Tragedies  (Lamb) .     American  Book  Co. ;   The 

Macmillan  Co. 
Companion  book  to  the  Comedies. 


236  SPECIAL   METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

Natural  History  of  Selborne  (White) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

A  famous  old  book,  interesting  both  in  style  and  content. 

One  of  the  first  books  of  real  nature  study. 
Letters  (Chesterfield).     Ginn  &  Co.;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

The  Macmillan  Co. 
Entertaining  and  unique.     Valuable  for  reading  extracts  to 

the  school. 

Plutarch's  Lives.     Ginn  &  Co. ;   The  Macmillan  Co. ;   Educa- 
tional Publishing  Co. 

A  book  that  all  grammar  school  children  should  be  encour- 
aged to  read. 
The  Two  Great  Retreats  (Grote-Segur) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

Retreat    of    the    ten    thousand   Greeks,    and    Napoleon's 

retreat  from  Russia. 
The  Alhambra  (Irving).     Ginn  &  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

The  Macmillan  Co. 
Most  attractive  descriptions  and  legends  connected  with 

the  Alhambra. 

Peter  Schlemihl  (Chamisso).     Ginn  &  Co. 
Picciola  (Saintine).     Ginn  &  Co. 
Hatim  Tai  (from  the  Persian).     Ginn  &  Co. 
Life  of  Nelson  (Southey).    Ginn  &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. ; 

The  Macmillan  Co. 

Camps  and  Firesides  of  the  Revolution  (Hart).     The  Macmil- 
lan Co. 

Interesting  source  material. 

The  Crofton  Boys  (Martineau).     D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 
Orations  on  Washington  and  Landing  of  the  Pilgrims  (Webster). 

American  Book  Co. 

A   few  children  may  be  encouraged  to  read  these  great 
speeches,  among  the  best   in   our  history.      Somewhat 

difficult. 

Silas  Marner  (Eliot).     The  Macmillan  Co.;  Sibley  &  Ducker; 
American  Book  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ; 
Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Educational  Publishing  Co. 
A  good  introduction  for  children  to  George  Eliot's  writings. 
Used  in  eighth  grade  and  high  school. 


LIST   OF    BOOKS  237 

Vicar  of  Wakefield  (Goldsmith).    Ginn  &  Co.;  American  Book 

Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  The 

Macmillan  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  Univ.  Pub.  Co. 

One  of  the  great  books,  permeated  with   Goldsmith's  fine 

style  and  humor. 
Two  Years  Before  the  Mast  (Dana).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  book  of  real  power  for  boys  and  girls. 
A  Bunch  of  Herbs  (Burroughs) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Good  nature  study  for  pupils  and  teachers.    Also  for  regular 

reading. 
Samuel  Adams  (Morse) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

One  of  the  best  of  American  biographies.  One  of  the  best 
descriptions  of  scenes  in  Boston  just  preceding  the  Revo- 
lution. 

Tom  Brown's  School  Days  (Hughes).  The  Macmillan  Co.; 
Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. ;  Educational  Pub- 
lishing Co. 

A  story  for  boys.     Vigorous  and  true  to  life. 
Last  of  the  Mohicans  (Cooper) .     The  Macmillan  Co. ;  Maynard, 
Merrill,  &  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin, 
&  Co. ;   University  Publishing  Co. 
A  good  book  with  which   to   introduce  young  people  to 

Cooper's  famous  stories. 

Franklin's  Autobiography.     Ginn  &    Co. ;    Houghton,   Mifflin, 
&  Co. ;   Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;   American  Book  Co. ; 
The  Macmillan  Co. ;  The  Educational  Publishing  Co. 
A  book  that  all  young  people   should  read.     Valuable  in 

many  ways. 
Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  (Stowe).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  library  book  for  home  reading. 
From  Colony  to  Commonwealth  (Moore) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

Simple  account  of  the  early  events  of  the  Revolution  about 

Boston. 
Stories  from  the  Classic  Literature  of  Many  Nations  (Palmer). 

The  Macmillan  Co. 

The  Gold  Bug  and  Other  Tales  (Poe).  Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. 


238  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

American  War  Ballads  and   Lyrics   (Eggleston).     G.  P.  Put- 
nam's Sons. 

The  Siege  of  Leyden  (Motley).     D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 
Twelve  Naval  Captains.     Scribner's  Sons. 

Short  biographies  of  naval  heroes. 
Open  Sesame,  Volume  III.     Ginn  &  Co. 

A  collection  for  various  uses,  prose  and  verse.     Patriotism, 

sentiment,  humor,  and  nature. 
Birddom  (Keyser).     D.  Lothrop  &  Co. 

Good  for  regular  reading.     Written  in  the  fine  style  of  a 

true  lover  of  nature. 
Town  Geology  (Kingsley) .     The  Macmillan  Co. 

An  interesting  book  for  those  predisposed  to  science. 
Children's  Stories  of  American  Literature  (1860-1896)  (Wright). 

Scribner's  Sons. 

Short  biographies  of  recent  American  writers. 
Prince  and  Pauper  (Clemens).     Harper  &  Bros. 

3.   TEACHERS'   BOOKS 

Education  and  the  Larger  Life  (Henderson).     Hough  ton,  Mif- 

flin,  &  Co. 

A  book  of  great  value  to  teachers  for  thoughtful  study. 
Critical  Period  of  American  History  (Fiske).    Houghton,  Mif- 

flin,  &  Co. 
A  very  superior  and  interesting  book  of  the  period  just  after 

the  Revolution. 
The  Beginnings  of  New  England  (Fiske) .     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&  Co. 

Valuable  for  sixth  and  seventh  grade  teachers. 
Birds  in  the  Bush  (Torrey) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Entertaining  nature  study  by  a  master. 
Nestlings    in    Forest    and    Marsh    (Wheelock).      A.    C.    Mc- 

Clurg. 

A  suggestive  book  for  teachers  and  older  pupils. 
Madam  How  and  Lady  Why  (Kingsley).     The  Macmillan  Co. 
Interesting  style  and  content. 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  239 

Brave  Little  Holland  (Griffis).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  historical   study  of  the  Dutch  in  Holland  and  in   this 

country. 

Familiar  Flowers  of  Field  and  Garden  (Matthews).     D.  Apple- 
ton  &  Co. 
An  easy  study  of  common  plants  and  flowers  according  to 

the  seasons. 

Guy  Mannering  (Scott).     Ginn  &  Co. 

Autocrat  of  the   Breakfast  Table  (Holmes).     Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. 

Tale  of  Two  Cities  (Dickens).     Ginn  &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. 
Life  of  Pestalozzi  (de  Guimps).     D.  Appleton  &  Co. 
First  Bunker  Hill  Oration  (Webster).     D.  C,  Heath  &  Co. 
Mill  on  the  Floss  (George  Eliot). 
Hugh  Wynne,  Free  Quaker  (Mitchell).     Century  Co. 
The  Fortune  of  the  Republic  (Emerson).     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&  Co. 

Very  stimulating  to  teachers. 
Masterpieces   of  American  Literature    (Scudder).      Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 

One  of  the  best  collections  of  classical  masterpieces. 
Life  of  Samuel  Johnson  (Macaulay).     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ; 

Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Very  fine,  in  Macaulay's  superior  style. 
Modern  Painters  (Ruskin) .     Various  publishers. 

For  teachers,  a  good  study  in  Ruskin. 

Essay  on  Burns  (Carlyle) .     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  The  Mac- 
millan  Co. ;    Houghton,   Mifflin,  &  Co. ;    D.  C.   Heath 
&  Co. ;  Educational  Publishing  Co. 
An  interesting  subject  and  an  able  treatment. 
Readings    from   the    Spectator.     Educational  Publishing  Co. ; 

Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 
Roger  de  Coverley  and  other  selected  parts  of  essays  from 

Addison. 
Six  Centuries  of  English  Poetry  (Baldwin).     Silver,   Burdett, 

&  Co. 
Valuable  for  reference  and  occasional  study. 


24O  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 

Fiske's  Washington  and  His  Country  (Irving).     Ginn  &  Co. 
Good  life  of  Washington  and  history  of  the  Revolution. 
The  War  of  Independence  (Fiske).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Poetic  Interpretation  of  Nature  (Shairp).  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Mere  Literature  (Woodrow  Wilson) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

An  interesting  series  of  essays  for  teachers. 
The  Life  of  Alexander  Hamilton  (Lodge) .     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&  Co. 
The  Study  and  Teaching  of  English  (Chubb).    The  Macmil- 

lan  Co. 
Burke's  Speech  on  Conciliation  with  America.      D.  C.  Heath 

&  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. 


EIGHTH    GRADE 
i.    BOOKS   FOR  REGULAR  READING  LESSONS 

Vision  of  Sir  Launfal  (Lowell) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  The 

Macmillan  Co. 
One  of  the  best  poems  in  English  for  school  use. 

Julius  Caesar  (Shakespeare) .  American  Book  Co. ;  The  Mac- 
millan Co. ;  Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ; 
Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  The 
Educational  Publishing  Co. ;  University  Publishing  Co. 
Well  suited  for  eighth  grade  study  and  presentation.  Used 
also  in  high  schools. 

Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn  (Longfellow).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Bunker  Hill,  Adams,  and  Jefferson  (Webster).     Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. 

Roger  de  Coverley  (Addison) .  The  Macmillan  Co. ;  American 
Book  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  The  Educational 
Publishing  Co. ;  Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. ;  Sibley  &  Ducker ; 
D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 
An  excellent  study  for  children  in  eighth  grade.  Also  used 
in  high  schools. 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  241 

In  Bird  Land  (Keyser) .     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co. 

A  book  adapted  to  awaken  the  children  to  a  sympathetic 

observation  of  birds. 

Lady  of  the  Lake  (Scott).     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  American 
Book  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  The 
Macmillan  Co.;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co.;  The  Educational 
Publishing  Co. ;   University  Publishing  Co. 
An  attractive  study.     Somewhat  difficult. 

Marmion    (Scott).     Ginn  &   Co. ;    Maynard,   Merrill,   &   Co.; 
The  Macmillan  Co. ;   The  Educational  Publishing  Co. ; 
Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. 
A  great  historical  picture,  full  of  interest. 
The    Great    Debate    (Hayne- Webster) .       Houghton,    Mifflin, 

&  Co.;   Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

A  fine  study  of  forensic  debate.      Incidentally  a  deeper 
appreciation  of  history.     Somewhat  difficult  for  eighth 
grade. 
A  Bunch  of  Herbs  (Burroughs).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  very  suggestive  study  of  common  plants,  trees,  weather, 

etc. 

Burke  on  Conciliation.     Sibley  &  Dufcker;   Ginn  &  Co.;  The 
Macmillan  Co. ;  Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mif- 
flin, &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. ; 
Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co.     Used  also  in  high  school. 
A  great  study  both  as  literature  and  as  history.     One  of  the 

best  studies  in  American  history  before  the  Revolution. 
The  Gettysburg  Speech  (Lincoln).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
The  inaugurals,  an  essay  by  Lowell  on  Lincoln  and  other 

papers. 

The  Deserted  Village,  and  The  Traveller  (Goldsmith).  The 
Macmillan  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Maynard, 
Merrill,  &  Co. 

The  best  of  Goldsmith's  poems.     Also  shorter  poems. 
Franklin's  Autobiography.     The  Macmillan  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. ; 
Houghton,   Mifflin,   &   Co.;    Maynard,    Merrill,   &   Co.; 
American  Book  Co. ;  The  Educational  Publishing  Co. 
Partly  for  class  use  and  partly  for  reference  reading. 


242  SPECIAL    METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

Plutarch's  Lives.     Ginn  &  Co. ;   The  Educational  Publishing 

Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. 
A  few  for  class  reading.     Others  for  reference. 
Translation  of  Homer's  Odyssey  (Palmer).     Hough  ton,  Mifflin, 

&Co. 

Abraham  Lincoln  (Schurz).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Two  Great  Retreats  (Grote-Segur) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

Good  sight  reading,  and  for  reference. 
Peter  the  Great  (Motley).     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

A  very  interesting  essay  in  superior  style. 
The  Succession  of  Forest   Trees,   Wild  Apples,  and  Sounds 

(Thoreau).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
A  very  attractive  nature  study. 

2.  SUPPLEMENTARY  AND  REFERENCE  BOOKS 

Ruskin's  Selections.     Ginn  &  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. 

Longer  selections  from  Ruskin.     Excellent  also  for  regular 

reading. 
My  Hunt  after  the  Captain,  etc.  (Holmes) .     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&Co. 

A  very  entertaining  description  of  scenes  during  war  times. 
Don  Quixote  (Cervantes).     Ginn  &  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co.; 

Scribner's  Sons. 
A  book  that  children  should  be  encouraged  to  read.     Its 

satire  and  humor  they  should  learn  to  appreciate. 
Ivanhoe  (Scott).     The  Macmillan  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. ;  American 
Book  Co. ;  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 
The  best  introduction  to  Scott's  novels,  in  connection  with 

school  studies. 
The  Abbot  (Scott).    Ginn  &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. 

One  of  Scott's  best  stories. 
Yesterdays  with  Authors  (James  T.  Fields).    Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&Co. 

Rob  Roy,  and  Quentin  Durward  (Scott) .     Ginn  &  Co. ;  Ameri- 
can Book  Co.  ^ 
Good  library  books. 


LIST   OF    BOOKS  243 

The  House  of  Seven  Gables  (Hawthorne) .     Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&Co. 
A  New  England  story  in  Hawthorne's  style.     A  good  home 

study  for  children  and  teachers. 
The  Boy's  Browning.     Dana,  Estes,  &  Co. 

A  good  collection  of  the  simpler  poems  adapted  to  younger 

readers. 
Tale    of    Two    Cities    (Dickens).      Ginn    &    Co. ;    American 

Book  Co. 
Jean  Valjean  (from  Les  Miserables).     Ginn  &  Co. ;  Educational 

Publishing  Co. 

The  Talisman  (Scott).     American  Book  Co. ;  Ginn  &  Co. 
Treasure  Island  (Stevenson).     Scribner's  Sons. 
Life  of  Washington   (Statesmen   Series).      Houghton,  Mifflin, 

&Co. 
Life  of  Nelson  (Southey).     The  Macmillan  Co.;  Ginn  &  Co.; 

American  Book  Co. 
The  Foot-path  Way  (Torrey).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

One  of  the  best  books  for  cultivating  an  appreciation  for 

nature. 
In  Bird  Land  (Keyser).     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co. 

A  very  interesting  bird  study. 
The  Old  Manse,  and  A  Few  Mosses  (Hawthorne).     Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  pleasing  account  of  the  old  house  and  its  associations. 
News  from  the  Birds  (Keyser).     D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

Excellent  study  and  observation. 

Peasant  and  Prince  (Martineau).     Ginn  &  Co. ;   Univ.  Pub.  Co. 
An  interesting  narrative  of  French  life  just  before  the  Revo- 
lution. 
A  Book  of  Famous  Verse  (Repplier) .    Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  superior  collection  of  poems. 
Nature  Pictures  by  American  Poets  (Marble) .  The  Macmillan  Co. 

Choice  poems  descriptive  of  nature. 
Seven  British  Classics.     American  Book  Co. 

A  good  collection  of  English  masterpieces.     Adapted  also 
for  regular  reading  in  seventh  and  eighth  grades. 


244  SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 

Star  Land  (Ball) .     Ginn  &  Co. 

A  very  interesting  and  well-written  introduction  to  astronomy. 
Life  of  John  Quincy  Adams  (Morse).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

The  Statesmen  Series. 
Poems  of  American  Patriotism  (Matthews).     Scribner's  Sons. 

3.  TEACHERS'  BOOKS 

Culture  and  Anarchy  (Arnold).     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

It  illustrates  well  Arnold's  thought  and  style. 
Elaine  (Tennyson).     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co.;   The  Macmil- 
lan  Co. 

A  beautiful  poem,  simple  and  musical,  from  the  Idylls  of  the 

King. 
Great  Words  of  Great  Americans  (Putnam) . 

Papers  and  addresses  of  Washington  and  Lincoln. 
Literature  in  Schools  (Scudder).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  stimulating  book  for  teachers  of  all  grades. 
The  Princess  (Tennyson) .     Ginn  &  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. ; 

Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. 
Biblical  Masterpieces  (Moulton) .     The  Macmillan  Co. 
The  Book  Lover  (Baldwin).     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co. 

A  discussion  of  books  and  reading  with  lists  of  books  and 

suggestions. 
The  Story  of  the  Birds  (Baskett).     D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

One  of  the  superior  books  of  nature  study. 
Frail  Children  of  the  Air  (Scudder).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  scientific  but  simple  treatise  on  butterflies. 
Books  and  Culture  (Mabie).     Dodd,  Mead,  &  Co. 

An  attractive  and  valuable  book  on  literature  for  teachers. 
Science  Sketches  (Jordan).     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co. 

A  very  attractive  style  in  the  treatment  of  scientific  topics. 
Birds  through  an  Opera  Glass  (Merriam).     Houghton,  Mifflin, 
&Co. 

Good  outdoor  study. 
Up  and  Down  the  Brooks  (Bramford).    Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

A  study  of  insect  life  in  the  streams. 


f  UNV 
x(7* 


LIST   OF   BOOKS  \£*  245 

Essays,  first  series  (Emerson) .     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Essays  on  history,  self-reliance,  compensation,  and  others. 

Teachers  should  study  Emerson's  essays. 
Heroes  and  Hero-Worship  (Carlyle).     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co.; 

The  Macmillan  Co. 
A  great  book  and  a  good  specimen  of  Carlyle's  style  and 

thought. 

Introductory  Lessons  in  English  (McNeil  and  Lynch).     Ameri- 
can Book  Co. 
A  series  of  masterpieces  with  questions  and  discussions  as 

to  treatment  in  high  schools. 
How  to  Teach  Reading  (Clark).     Scott,  Forsman,  &  Co. 

A  pedagogical  treatment  of  reading. 
Counsel  upon  the  Reading  of  Books  (Van  Dyke).     Houghton, 

Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Strong  essays  on  books  and  reading  from  different  points 

of  view  by  strong  writers. 
Romola  (George  Eliot).     Various  publishers. 

One  of  the  great  novels.     Valuable  in  many  ways. 
Macbeth  (Shakespeare).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co.;  D.  C.  Heath 
&  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. ;  American  Book  Co. ;  The 
Educational  Publishing  Co. ;   University  Publishing  Co. 
This  and  other  great  plays  of  Shakespeare  should  be  read 

by  teachers. 

Life  of  Hamilton  (Statesmen  Series).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Emerson's  Self-Reliance.     Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 
Life  of  Webster  (Lodge),  also  John  Quincy  Adams    (Morse). 

Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
From  the   Statesmen  Series.      Excellent  reading  for    the 

teacher. 
Literary  Study  of  the  Bible  (Moulton).    D.  C.  Heath  &  Co. 

A  valuable  introduction  to  the  literary  appreciation  of  the 

Bible. 

The  Marble  Faun  (Hawthorne).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 
Plutarch's  Lives.     Ginn  &  Co. ;  The  Macmillan  Co. ;  The  Edu- 
cational Publishing  Co. 
Locke's  Thoughts  on  Education.    The  Macmillan  Co. 


246  SPECIAL   METHOD   OF   CLASSICS 

Spencer's  Education.    D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

Daniel  Deronda  (George  Eliot). 

Dombey  and  Son  (Charles  Dickens). 

The  Autobiography  of  John  Stuart  Mill. 

The  Schoolmaster  in  Comedy  and  Satire  (Skinner).  The  Ameri- 
can Book  Co. 

Emerson's  American  Scholar.  American  Book  Co. ;  Houghton, 
Mifflin,  &  Co. ;  Maynard,  Merrill,  &  Co. 

The  Judgment  of  Socrates.     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Poets  and  Problems  (Cooke).     Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 

Introduction  to  Tennyson,  Ruskin,  and  Browning. 

A  Century  of  Science  and  other  Essays  (Fiske).  Houghton, 
Mifflin,  &  Co. 

American  Writers  of  To-day  (Vedder).     Silver,  Burdett,  &  Co. 

Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  (Holmes).  American  Men  of  Letters 
Series.  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co. 


ALPHABETICAL    LIST   OF   TITLES 


Abbot,  The 

Abraham  Lincoln    .... 

Adams,  Bunker  Hill,  and  Jef- 
ferson   235, 

Adams,  Life  of  John  Quincy 

Adams,  Samuel 

Adventures  of  Ulysses .    .    . 

Age  of  Chivalry 

Age  of  Fable 

Alexander  the  Great    .     .     . 

Alhambra 

Alice's  Adventures  in  Won- 
derland   

American  Explorers     .     .     . 

American  Scholar    .... 

American  War  Ballads  and 
Lyrics 

American  Writers  of  To-day 

Andersen's  Fairy  Tales     .     . 

Arabian  Nights  (Clarke)  .     . 

Arabian  Nights  (Hale)    .     . 

Arabian  Nights,  Stories  from 
the 

Autobiography  (Franklin)  237j 

Autobiography  of  John  Stuart 
Mill 

Autocrat  of  the  Breakfast 
Table 

Baby  Bell,  the  Little  Violinist, 
and  other  prose  and  verse 


242 
242 

240 
244 

237 
223 
227 

221 
229 


219 
226 
246 

238 
246 
217 
224 
224 

216 

241 

246 
239 


229 


Ballad  Book 218 

Ballads  and  Lyrics  ....  225 
Beginnings    of    New     Eng- 
land   222,  238 

Beginnings    of    New    Eng- 
land,   and    Discovery    of 

America 226 

Being  a  Boy 220 

Biblical  Masterpieces   .     .     .  244 

Bimbi 218 

Biographical   Stories  (Haw- 
thorne)   223,  229 

Birddom 227,  238 

Birds  and  Bees,  Sharp  Eyes, 

and  other  papers      .     „     .  229 

Birds  in  the  Bush    ....  238 
Birds     through     an     Opera 

Glass 244 

Bird- World 217 

Black  Beauty 219 

Book  Lover 244 


Book  of  Famous  Verse  , 
Book  of  Golden  Deeds  . 
Book  of  Legends  .  .  , 
Book  of  Tales  .... 
Books  and  Culture  .  .  . 
Books  and  Libraries  .  , 

Boy's  Browning 243 

Boy's  King  Arthur  ....     225 

Boys  of  '76 232 

Brave  Little  Holland  .     .     .     239 


243 
225 
217 
217 
244 
233 


247 


248 


SPECIAL    METHOD    OF    CLASSICS 


Brownies,  The 219 

Browning,  Boy's      ....     243 
Browning,    Introduction    to 

Tennyson,  Ruskin,  and     .     246 
Building  of  the  Ship    .     .     .     229 
Bunch  of  Herbs   .     .     .     237,  241 
Bunker  Hill,  Adams,  and  Jef- 
ferson      235,  240 

Burke  on  Conciliation .     .     .     241 
Burke's  Speech  on  Concilia- 
tion with  America    .     .     .     240 
Burns,  Essay  on 239 

Caesar,  Story  of 230 

California  and  Oregon  Trail    221 

Camps  and  Firesides  of  the 
Revolution 236 

Century  of  Science,  and  other 
essays 246 

Champlain,  Samuel  de      .     .     227 

Chesterfield,  Letters  of     .     .    236 

Childhood  in  Literature  and 
Art 226 

Child  Life  in  Poetry  and 
Prose 216 

Children's  Hour      .     .     .  223,  229 

Children's  Hour,  Paul  Revere, 
and  other  papers  .  .  .  229 

Children's  Life  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  .......  226 

Children's  Stories  of  Ameri- 
can Literature  ....  221 

Children's  Stories  of  Ameri- 
can Literature,  1660-1860  232 

Children's  Stories  of  Ameri- 
can Literature,  1860-1896  238 

Children's  Treasury  of  Eng- 
lish Song 219 

Child's  History  of  England  .     230 


Choice  English  Lyrics .     .     .  231 

Christmas  Carol 228 

Colonial  Children    ....  224 
Coming  of  Arthur  and  Pass- 
ing of  Arthur 228 

Conquest  of  Mexico     .     .     .  230 

Conspiracy  of  Pontiac .     .     .  233 

Cotter's  Saturday  Night   .     .  235 
Counsel  upon  the    Reading 

of  Books     ....      227,  245 

Courtship  of  Miles  Standish  .  228 

Cricket  on  the  Hearth      .     .  234 
Critical  Period  of  American 

History 238 

Croft  on  Boys 236 

Culture  and  Anarchy  .    .     .  f^^ 

Daniel  Deronda 246 

David  Copperfield  ....  221 

Deerslayer 227 

Deserted    Village,   and    the 

Traveller 241 

Discovery  of  America  .     .     .  221 
Discovery  of  America,    Be- 
ginnings of  New  England, 

and 226 

Dog  of  Flanders      ....  218 

Dombey  and  Son     ....  246 
Don  Quixote  ....      231,  242 

Drake  and  his  Yeomen    .     .  227 
Dutch  and  Quaker  Colonies 

in  America 233 

Education 246 

Education  and  the    Larger 

Life 238 

Elaine 244 

Emerson,  Poems  of      ...  234 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo    .     .  246 


ALPHABETICAL    LIST   OF   TITLES 


249 


Emerson's  Essays    ....  220 

Emerson's  Essays,  First  Series  245 
Enoch  Arden  and  the  Lotus 

Eaters 234 

Essay  on  Burns 239 

Essay  on  Milton      ....  233 

Essays  (Emerson)  ....  220 

Essays(Emerson),  First  Series  245 

Eugene  Field  Book     .     .     .  220 

Evangeline 234 

Faerie  Queen,  Tales  from  the  218 

Fairy  Tales  (Andersen)    .     .  217 

Fairy  Tales  in  Prose  and  Verse  219 
Familiar  Flowers  of  Field  and 

Garden 239 

Famous  Allegories  ....  231 

Fanciful  Tales 216 

Fifty  Famous  Stories  Retold  220 

First  Book  of  Birds      .     .     .  218 

First  Bunker  Hill  Oration     .  239 

Foot-path  Way    .    .    .     227,  243 

Fortune  of  the  Republic  233,  239 

Four  American  Naval  Heroes  226 

Four  Great  Americans      .     .  217 

Frail  Children  of  the  Air .     .  244 

Franklin's  Autobiography  237,  241 

Frederick  the  Great     .     .     .  232 

Friends  and  Helpers    .    .    .  218 

Froissart 230 

From  Colony  to    Common- 
wealth      237 

Gentle  Boy,  and  other  tales  .  228 

Gettysburg  Speech  .     .     .    .  241 

Giles  Corey 229 

Gods  and  Heroes    ....  218 

Gold  Bug,  and  other  tales     .  237 

Golden  Age 226 


Golden  Arrow 232 

Golden    Treasury    of    Best 

Songs  and  Lyrical  Poems  235 
Golden  Treasury    of   Songs 

and  Lyrics 231 

Grandfather's  Chair  .  .  .  229 
Grandmother's  Story,  and 

other  poems 235 

Great  Debate  (Hayne-Web- 

ster) 241 

Great  Words  of  Great  Ameri- 
cans    244 

Greek    Gods,    Heroes,    and 

Men 225 

Greek  Heroes 216 

Greek  Life  and  Story  .    .     .  227 

Grimm's  Household  Tales     .  217 

Gulliver's  Travels    ....  223 

Gulliver's  Voyage  to  Lilliput  223 

Guy  Mannering 239 

Hamilton,  Life  of  ....  245 

Hamilton,  Life  of  Alexander  240 

Hans  Andersen  Stories  .  .  218 

Hans  Andersen  Tales  .  .  .  217 
Hans  Brinker,  or  the  Silver 

Skates 231 

Hard  Times 227 

HatimTai 236 

Henry  Esmond 233 

Heroes  and  Hero  Worship  »  245 
Heroes  and  Patriots  of  the 

Revolution 230 

Heroes  of  Asgard  ....  219 
Heroes  of  the  Middle  West  220, 224 

Heroic  Ballads 223 

Hiawatha 222 

Historical  Tales,  American  .  225 
Historical  Tales,  English  226,  230 


250 


SPECIAL   METHOD   OF    CLASSICS 


History  and  Literature  220,  227 
History  of  England  .  .  .  233 
Hoosier  School  Boy  .  .  .  226 
Household  Tales  (Grimm)  .  217 
House  of  Seven  Gables  .  227,  243 
How  to  Teach  Reading  .  .  245 
Hugh  Wynne,  Free  Quaker .  239 
Hunting  of  the  Deer  .  .  .  228 

Iliad  (Bryant)     .     .     .      224,  233 

Iliad  (Pope) 224 

In  Bird  Land  .  .  221,  241,  243 
Introduction  to  Literature  .  232 
Introduction  to  Ruskin  .  .  233 
Introduction  to  Tennyson, 

Ruskin,  and  Browning       .     246 
Introductory  Lessons  in  Eng- 
lish   .    £$ 245 

Irving,  Selections  from  .  .  230 
Ivanhoe 227,  242 

Jackanapes 219 

Jason's  Quest 225 

Jean  Mitchell's  School      .     .  222 

Jean  Valjean 243 

Jefferson,  Bunker  Hill,  Adams 

and 235,  240 

Johnson,  Life  of  Samuel  .     .  239 

Judgment  of  Socrates  .     .     .  246 

Julius  Caesar 240 

King  Arthur  and  his  Court  .  217 
King  of  the  Golden  River  .  222 
Krag  and  Johnny  Bear  .  .  224 

Lady  of  the  Lake    ....     241 
Landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  Ora- 
tions on  Washington  and  .     236 
La  Salle  and  the  Discovery 
of  the  Great  West    .          ,221 


Last  of  the  Mohicans  .  233,  237 

Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel .  .  231 

Lays  of  Ancient  Rome  .  .  222 

Leonard  and  Gertrude  .  .  222 

Letters  (Chesterfield)  ...  236 
Life  Histories  of  American 

Insects 232 

Life  of  Alexander  Hamilton  240 

Life  of  Hamilton  ....  2^5 

Life  of  John  Quincy  Adams  ^/| 
Life  of  Nelson  ....  236,  243 

Life  of  Pestalozzi  ....  239 

Life  of  Samuel  Johnson  .  .  239 
Life  of  Washington  .  235,  243 

Life  of  Webster 245 

Lincoln,  Abraham  ....  242 
Lincoln,  Children's  Life  of 

Abraham 226 

Literary  Study  of  the  Bible  245 
Literature  in  Schools  .  .  221,  244 
Little  Daffydowndilly  and 

Biographical  Stories  .  .  223 

Little  Lame  Prince .  .  .  .  218 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  .  .  220 

Little  Violinist 229 

Lobo,  Rag,  and  Vixen  .  .  226 
Lotus  Eaters,  Enoch  Arden 

and  the 234 

Mabel    Martin,    and  other 

poems    .......  229 

Macbeth 245 

Madam  How  and  Lady  Why  238 

Marble  Faun 245 

Marmion 241 

Masterpieces    of    American 

Literature  .     .         ...  239 

Men  who  made  the  Nation  .  227 

Merchant  of  Venice     .     .     .  234 


ALPHABETICAL    LIST   OF   TITLES 


251 


Mere  Literature      ....  240 
Merry  Adventures  of  Robin 

Hood 219,  223 

Mill  on  the  Floss     ....  239 

Milton,  Essay  on     ....  233 

Modern  Painters      ....  239 

Montcalm  and  Wolfe  .     .     .  233 

Moral  Instruction  of  Children  226 

My  Hunt  after  the  Captain  .  242 

Myths  of  the  Northern  Lands  220 

National  Epics 221 

Natural  History  of  Selborne  236 

Nature  in  Verse       ....  217 
Nature  Pictures  by  American 

Poets      .     .     .     .221,  233,  243 

Nelson,  Life  of   ...      236,  243 

Nestlings  in  Forest  and  Marsh  238 

News  from  the  Birds    .      227,  243 

Nicholas  Nickleby  ....  233 

Nine  Worlds 231 

Norse  Stories 220 

Nurnberg  Stove 218 

Odyssey  (Bryant)  ....  224 
Odyssey  (Butcher  and  Lang)  227 
Odyssey  (Church)  ....  225 
Odyssey  of  Homer  (Palmer)  224 
Odyssey,  Translation  of  Hom- 
er's (Palmer) 242 

Old  Greek  Folk  Stories    .     .  217 

Old  Greek  Story      ....  224 

Old  Manse,  and  a  Few  Mosses  243 

Old  Norse  Stories    ....  220 

Old  Stories  of  the  East     .     .  218 
Old   Testament    Stories    in 

Scripture  Language       .     .  217 
Old  Virginia  and  her  Neigh- 
bors    232 


Oliver  Twist,  Story  of  .  .  231 

Open  Sesame  219,  225,  229,  238 
Orations  on  Washington  and 

Landing  of  the  Pilgrims  .  236 
Our  Country  in  Prose  and 

Verse 232 

Our  Feathered  Friends  .  .  219 

Paul  Revere 229 

Peasant  and  Prince  .  .  .  243 
Pestalozzi,  Life  of  ....  239 

Peter  Schlemihl 236 

Peter  the  Great  .     .     .      232,  242 

Picciola 236 

Pied  Piper,  and  other  poems  223 
Pilgrims  and  Puritans  .  .  .  231 
Pilgrim's  Progress  ....  230 

Pilot 222 

Pioneer  History  Stories    .     .     225 
Pioneers  of    France  in  the 
New  World,  and  La  Salle 
and  the  Discovery  of  the 

Great  West 227 

Pioneers  of  the  Revolution  .     220 

Plant  World 235 

Plutarch's  Lives  .     .  236,  242,  245 
Poems   of    American    Patri- 
otism        224,  244 

Poems  of  Emerson  ....  234 
Poetic  Interpretation  of 

Nature 233,  240 

Poetry  for  Children  .  .  .  221 
Poetry  of  the  Seasons  .  231,  235 
Poets  and  Problems  .  .  .  246 
Poor  Richard's  Almanac  .  .  235 
Prince  and  Pauper  ....  238 
Princess 244 

Quentin  Durward    ....    242 


252 


SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 


Rab  and  his  Friends  ...  231 

Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  .  .  246 

Readings  from  the  Spectator  239 
Readings  in  Folklore  .  220,  226 

Red  Cross  Story  Book  .  .  233 
Rob  Roy,  and  Quentin  Dur- 

ward 242 

Robinson  Crusoe  ....  224 

Roger  de  Coverley  ....  240 

Romola 245 

Rose  and  the  Ring  .  .  .  231 
Round  the  Year  in  Myth  and 

Song 217 

Rules  of  Conduct  ....  235 

Ruskin,  Introduction  to  .  .  233 
Ruskin,  Introduction  to 

Tennyson,  Browning,  and  246 

Ruskin  (Selections)  .  .  .  242 

Samuel  Adams 237 

Samuel  de  Champlain .  .  .  227 

Samuel  Johnson,  Life  of  .  .  239 

Scarlet  Letter 233 

Schoolmaster  in  Comedy  and 

Satire 246 

Schoolmaster  in  Literature  .  233 

Science  Sketches  ....  244 
Secrets  of  the  Woods  .  220,  224 

Selections  (Ruskin)  .  .  .  242 

Selections  from  Irving  .  .  230 

Self-reliance 245 

Sella,  Thanatopsis,  and  other 

poems 234 

Sesame  and  Lilies  .  .  221,  226 

Seven  American  Classics  .  .  229 

Seven  British  Classics  .  .  .  243 

Shakespeare's  Tragedies  .  .  235 
Sharp  Eyes,  Birds  and  Bees, 

and  other  papers ....  229 


Siege  of  Leyden 238 

Silas  Marner 236 

Six    Centuries     of    English 

Poetry 239 

Sketch  Book 228 

Snow- Bound,  and  Songs  of 

Labor 228 

Sohrab  and  Rustum     .     .     .  234 
Some  Merry  Adventures  of 

Robin  Hood 223 

Songs  of  Labor,  Snow-Bound 

and 228 

Sounds,  Succession  of  Forest 

Trees,  Wild  Apples,  and  .  242 
Source    Book    of  American 

History 230,  235 

Source  Book  of  English  His- 
tory     232 

Spectator,  Readings  from  the  239 
Squirrels    and    Other     Fur- 
bearers  217,  223 

Star  Land 244 

Stories  from  English  History  232 

Stories  from  Herodotus    .     .  225 
Stories    from    Old    English 

Poetry 230 

Stories  from  Old  German      .  220 

Stories  from  Plato   ....  220 
Stories    from    the    Arabian 

Nights 216 

Stories  from  the  Classic  Lit- 
erature of  Many  Nations  .  237 
Stories  from  Waverley      .     .  231 
Stories,  Hans  Andersen    .     .  218 
Stories  of  American  Life  and 

Adventure  ....      219,  223 

Stories  of  Animal  Life      .    .  232 

Stories  of  Bird  Life      .     .     .  232 

Stories  of  Our  Country     .    .  217 


ALPHABETICAL    LIST   OF   TITLES 


253 


Stories  of  the  Old  World.     .  219 

Story  of  a  Bad  Boy .     .     .     .  231 

Story  of  Caesar 230 

Story  of  Oliver  Twist   .     .     .  231 

Story  of  Our  Continent     .     .  226 

Story  of  Roland 226 

Story  of  Siegfried    ....  225 

Story  of  the  Birds    ....  244 

Story  of  the  English     ...  225 

Story  of  the  Golden  Age  .     .  224 

Story  of  the  Greeks      .     .     .  225 

Story  of  the  Iliad    ....  220 
Story      of      the      Odyssey 
(Church)    ....      221,  225 

Story  of  Troy 225 

Story  of  Ulysses 218 

Story-teller's  Art      ....  222 
Study  and  Teaching  of  Eng- 
lish       240 

Succession  of  Forest  Trees, 

Wild  Apples,  and  Sounds  242 

Swiss  Family  Robinson     .     .  230 

Tale  of  Two  Cities  .     .      239,  243 
Tales  from  English  History  .  223 
Tales    from    Scottish     His- 
tory     223 

Tales  from  Shakespeare    .     .  230 

Tales  from  the  Faerie  Queen  218 

Tales,  Hans  Andersen  .     .     .  217 

Tales  of  a  Grandfather      .     .  234 
Tales  of  a  Traveler  .     .      221,231 

Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn     .     .  240 

Tales  of  Chivalry     ....  225 
Tales  of  the  White  Hills,  and 

Sketches 228 

Tales  of  Troy 219 

Talisman 232,  243 

Talks  to  Teachers    .  ,221 


Tanglewood  Tales  ....  222 
Ten  Boys  on  the  Road  from 

Long  Ago 224 

Ten  Great  Events  in  History  230 
Tennyson,    Introduction   to, 

Ruskin,  and  Browning       .  246 
Thanatopsis,  Sella,  and  other 

poems 234 

Thoughts  on  Education    .     .  245 

Three  Outdoor  Papers      .     .  229 

Through  the  Looking  Glass  .  219 

Tom  Brown's  School  Days    .  237 
Tommy-Anne  and  the  Three 

Hearts 218 

Town  Geology 238 

Translation  of  Homer's  Odys- 
sey (Palmer) 242 

Traveller,    Deserted   Village 

and  the 241 

Treasure  Island 243 

Twelve  Naval  Captains     .     .  238 

Twice  Told  Tales     ....  232 
Two  Great  Retreats      .      236,  242 

Two  Years  before  the  Mast  .  237 

Ulysses  among  the  Phaeacians  223 

Ulysses,  Story  of      .     .     .     .  218 

Uncle  Tom's  Cabin      .     .     .  237 

Undine 231 

Up  and  down  the  Brooks      .  244 


Vicar  of  Wakefield  . 
Vision  of  Sir  Launfal 


232,  237 

,     .     240 


Wake  Robin 227 

War  of  Independence .     .     .  240 

Washington  and  his  Country  240 
Washington,  and  Landing  of 

the  Pilgrims,  Orations  on  236 


254 


SPECIAL    METHOD    OF   CLASSICS 


Washington  Irving ....  233 
Washington,  Life  of  .  235,  243 
Waste  Not,  Want  Not  .  .  218 

Water  Babies 222 

Waverley,  Stories  from  .  .  231 
Ways  of  Wood  Folk  .  221,  223 
Webster,  Life  of  ....  245 
Westward  Ho !  .  .  .  226,  233 


Wild  Apples,  Succession  of 

Forest  Trees,  and  Sounds  .  242 
Wilderness  Ways  .  .  226,  231 
William  Tell  ....  230,  235 
Winning  of  the  West  .  .  .  222 
Wonder  Book  ,  216 


Yesterdays  with  Authors  . 


242 


Tarr  and  McMurry's  Geographies 


COMMENTS 

North  Plainfield,  N.J. 

"  I  think  it  the  best  Geography  that  I  have  seen." 

—  H.  J.  WIGHTMAN,  Superintendent. 
Boston,  Mass. 

"  I  have  been  teaching  the  subject  in  the  Boston  Normal  School 
for  over  twenty  years,  and  Book  I  is  the  book  I  have  been  looking 
for  for  the  last  ten  years.  It  comes  nearer  to  what  I  have  been 
working  for  than  anything  in  the  geography  line  that  I  have  yet 
seen.  I  congratulate  you  on  the  good  work." 

—  Miss  L.  T.  MOSES,  Normal  School. 
Detroit,  Mich. 

"I  am  much  pleased  with  it  and  have  had  enthusiastic  praise 
for  it  from  all  the  teachers  to  whom  I  have  shown  it.  It  seems  to 
me  to  be  scientific,  artistic,  and  convenient  to  a  marked  degree. 
The  maps  are  a  perfect  joy  to  any  teacher  who  has  been  using 
the  complicated  affairs  given  in  most  books  of  the  kind." 

—  AGNES  McRAE. 
De  Kalb,  111. 

"I  have  just  finished  examining  the  first  book  of  Tarr  and 
McMurry's  Geographies.  I  have  read  the  book  with  care  from 
cover  to  cover.  To  say  that  I  am  pleased  with  it  is  expressing 
it  mildly.  It  seems  to  me  just  what  a  geography  should  be.  It  is 
correctly  conceived  and  admirably  executed.  The  subject  is  ap- 
proached from  the  right  direction  and  is  developed  in  the  right 
proportions.  And  those  maps  —  how  could  they  be  any  better? 
Surely  authors  and  publishers  have  achieved  a  triumph  in  text- 
book making.  I  shall  watch  with  interest  for  the  appearance  of 
the  other  two  volumes." — Professor  EDWARD  C.  PAGE,  Northern 
Illinois  State  Normal  School. 

Asbury  Park,  NJ. 

"I  do  not  hesitate  at  all  to  say  that  I  think  the  Tarr  and 
McMurry's  Geography  the  best  in  the  market." 

—  F.  S.  SHEPARD,  Superintendent  of  Schools. 
Ithaca,  N.Y. 

"  I  am  immensely  pleased  with  Tarr  and  McMurry's  Geography." 
—CHARLES  DE  GARMO,  Professor  of  Pedagogy,  Cornell  University. 


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